Kristaps Porzingis believed he would join the San Antonio Spurs this offseason, but the Atlanta Hawks contract came out of nowhere.
Kristaps Porzingis left the Boston Celtics this summer.
To throw away his salary, the Celtics traded Christapsporzingis for the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks attempted to land him and compete in the Eastern Conference next season.
Despite the exit, Porzingis watches his Celtics stint with great affection. And this is a sentiment shared by fans, as Georges Niang expects responsiveness from Celtics fans in the Porzingis trade.
This move from the Hawks should make Trae extremely happy. A few years later, the Hawks built a competitor-level roster.
And Porzingis was surprised by the Hawks’ trade, but he looks forward to playing with them. However, the Latvian superstar thought he would be another All-Star at the Western Conference.
Kristaps Porzingis spoke in an interview with Sporta Studija from Latvia. This summer, the Unicorn shared his ex expectations when discussing his deal.
Porzingis knew he was leaving the Celtics. And after his initial conversation with his agent, he was hoping to join Victor Wenbagnama and the San Antonio Spurs. (H/T basketball ball)
“Rumours were already beginning to appear during the season, and it didn’t distract us exactly, but we knew this team might not be together due to the salary cap.
“After the season, I would talk to my agents and expect one or more of us to be traded.
“For a while I thought I might end up with the Spurs, but then Atlanta came in. It was a great surprise. It came out of my hand.”
Kristaps Porzingis also added that he is excited about a new season with the Atlanta Hawks. In fact, the Hawks may be better suited to him than the Celtics because their expectations aren’t that high.
“I think there are high expectations. Atlanta has been at the edge of the playoffs for the last few years and sometimes it’s past the first round.
“It’s a great situation for me to come in and contribute. Perhaps it’s even better than Boston, which was the championship or bust.”
Porzingis can provide the Hawks with a very good defense spacing option. It’s the right way to build around players like Trae Young, a powerful shooter and passerby, but weak defender.
Expect the Atlanta Hawks to make a fuss at the Eastern Conference. Because they have one of the strongest rosters.