With the way Boston’s season ended, it was apparent that change was coming. Jayson Tatum’s torn Achilles forced the Celtics to shake things up, leading to the trades of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday this offseason.
Atlanta just landed a big fish. The Hawks acquired all-star big man Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team deal involving the Celtics, Hawks, and Nets.
Porzingis, who turns 30 soon, spent two seasons with Boston and helped them win the NBA Finals in 2024. But his playoff performance was limited by what many fans called a “mystery illness.” After resting this offseason, the former first-round pick says he’s back to full health.
“I’m 100% healthy,” Porzingis declared ahead of the new season.
His health issues were more serious than most people realized. Last season, Porzingis played in just 42 of Boston’s 82 games. He missed the first 17 games recovering from leg surgery in June 2024.
When he did play, he was pretty impressive. Porzingis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game as a starter.
But everything fell apart in the playoffs.
Months later, we finally know why. Brad Stevens revealed Porzingis was dealing with “post-viral syndrome” – when someone experiences lingering effects after recovering from a virus. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time for Boston.
In a recent interview with Sports Studija, Porzingis opened up about his struggles. He felt dizzy and completely drained during crucial playoff moments. The one-time NBA champion said he took June off to rest and deliberately lowered his training intensity.
“I felt dizziness throughout the playoffs,” Porzingis admitted.
The good news? He says those symptoms are completely gone now.
Even better for Hawks fans, Porzingis is joining the Latvian National team this summer to play in EuroBasket in August. That’s a huge sign of confidence in his recovery. He’ll use this international competition to ramp up his conditioning before the NBA season starts.
Atlanta will be watching his EuroBasket performance closely as they prepare for 2025-26.
The Hawks didn’t stop with Porzingis, either. They’ve been busy reshaping their roster.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker signed a four-year, $62 million deal with Atlanta as part of a sign-and-trade with the Timberwolves. Luke Kenard also joined on a one-year, $8 million contract.
With these new pieces and a healthy Porzingis, the Hawks believe they can make some serious noise in the East next season.
The timing couldn’t be better. The Eastern Conference looks wide open, giving Atlanta a real shot to climb the standings.
