When the Boston Celtics indicated openness to potential trades, Kristaps Porzingis immediately emerged as the prime candidate.
The Latvian big man has been consistently unavailable and visibly hampered throughout the 2025 playoffs after missing most of last season’s championship run.
The Eastern Conference Semifinal against the New York Knicks has only intensified speculation about his future in Boston as the Celtics find themselves in a 1-3 hole.
Kristaps Porzingis’ performance in this series has been nothing short of disastrous. He hasn’t played more than 24 minutes in any game, totaling just 20 points and 16 rebounds across four contests.
Most alarmingly, he failed to make a single field goal in two games. Former Celtics guard Jeff Teague did not hold back about Porzingis’ future.
Speaking on his Club 520 podcast, he said: “Porzingis is on the trading block. Porzingis is gone. KP you was loved last year, you are hated now. You are gone.”
NBA analyst Zach Lowe echoed similar sentiments on his podcast, suggesting Porzingis will be a movable asset for Boston this offseason.
Lowe was particularly critical of the center’s performance against New York, noting that in Game 4 he only scored seven points from 24 minutes on the field.
“He looked terrible the entire series for the most part. He cannot make a shot from two or three,” Lowe stated bluntly.
Since joining the Celtics via trade last season, Porzingis had been a crucial component of their success.
During the regular season, he averaged an impressive 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting a career-best 41.2% from three-point range, providing invaluable floor spacing and rim protection.
However, his recent struggles have many analysts believing the Celtics could replace his production more reliably with a different player who offers better availability.
With Boston facing elimination, Porzingis’ inability to make an impact when needed most may have sealed his fate with the franchise regardless of the outcome of this series.
