Kristaps Porzingis bids heartfelt farewell to Celtics fans after trade to Hawks

The Boston Celtics will be a memorable part of Kristaps Porzingis' career, as this is the place where he won his first and only NBA championship just over a year ago. He is on his way to Atlanta after the Celtics decided to trade him to the Hawks in a blockbuster move.

Following the move, Porzingis took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his final words to Celtics fans.

"Boston will always be special in my heart," he wrote. "Huge thank you to the organization, coaches, staff, my teammates and the fans! Class organization. Forever grateful."

Boston will always be special in my heart.
Huge thank you to the organization, coaches, staff, my teammates and the fans!
Class organization. Forever grateful. ☘️ pic.twitter.com/z1KhKocN1I

— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) June 25, 2025

The Celtics are sending Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Hawks in exchange for Georges Niang and another second-rounder. It was a three-team deal that also included the Brooklyn Nets receiving Terance Mann and Atlanta's No. 22 pick.

This move, combined with the earlier Jrue Holiday trade, significantly reduced Boston’s salary obligations, saving approximately $180 million in luxury-tax expenditures.

Porzingis played a massive role in helping the Celtics win their 18th NBA title against the Dallas Mavericks last year. He arrived in Boston after the Washington Wizards traded him in June 2023. 

In the NBA Finals against the Mavericks, Porzingis averaged 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks over three games. Overall, with Boston, the forward averaged 19.8 points per game while managing to convert 39% of his 3-point shots.

In Porzingis, Atlanta gets a versatile 7’2″ stretch-big to help Trae Young & Co. A healthy Porzingis could propel the Hawks into legitimate contenders next season.