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Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors: 5 teams that should trade for Knicks’ star

By Gerald Bourguet

Dec 20, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) during a break in action in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) during a break in action in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Boston Celtics

According to the New York Daily News, the Boston Celtics are one of the teams that came calling to inquire about Kristaps Porzingis’ availability.

KP wouldn’t be the immediate star addition they need to legitimately challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East, but he would plug in at the 4 and combine with whatever’s left between Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft to form a new core for the future.

Don’t count on that No. 3 pick though, since it’d be necessary to facilitate a deal, especially with New York’s reported interest in Josh Jackson, who could be available at that point in the draft.

With such a flexible roster and all those extra first-rounders, there are a plethora of options Boston could include in a Porzingis deal. They could outbid virtually any team in the league if they decided he was the star they’ve been waiting for on the trade market.

Knowing Danny Ainge, he’d try to continue to toe the line between contending now and building a strong core for the long-term, with a slightly larger emphasis on turning those picks into tangible assets for the here and now.

If that’s the case, the Celtics would have to think about giving up something like Jae Crowder, Terry Rozier the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft, the Lakers/Kings pick (via Philadelphia) and possibly another future first-rounder.

The Knicks would get a solid 3-and-D wing on a great contract, a young guard with potential, plus three first-rounders, while Boston would still have a core of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and hopefully Gordon Hayward to work with. Mindaugas Kuzminskas would be included for salary-matching purposes.

Another deal might look like this:

That version severely impairs the Celtics’ long-term future with Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart being included with two first round picks, but again, a core of IT-Bradley-Crowder-KP-Horford-Rozier-Hayward is pretty damn good as well.

The Knicks would be getting a rangy, defensive wing with dynamic scoring potential in Brown, a versatile defender and big-game player in Smart, a shot at drafting Josh Jackson and the Lakers/Kings pick. Even though they’d be losing Porzingis and Mindaugas, that’s a pretty handsome rebuild package.

However, the Celtics might be better off saving their assets for a Jimmy Butler or Paul George trade since they’re more capable of elevating Boston to legitimate contender status right away. A trade like that would also make it easier to sign someone like Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin this summer too.