While leaving the team he won a championship with was difficult, Porziņģis sees this new opportunity with the Hawks as a better situation than the one with the Celtics.

Kristaps Porzingis knew a trade from the Celtics was possible this offseason. However, the big man did not suspect a move to the Hawks. The former Celtics big man spoke to Latvia’s Sports Studja in an interview this week in his first public comments after Boston traded him away as part of a three-team deal to the Atlanta Hawks for Georges Niang.

Kristaps Porzingis believes that his new team, the Atlanta Hawks, may be a better fit for him than the Celtics were.

It was not a surprise even before, but the Celtics trading Porzingis especially seemed even more inevitable given the end of his season. The Latvian native dealt with an illness for much of the second half of the season, and it greatly impacted him in the playoffs.

Now hearing up for a stint representing his native Latvian National Team in summer FIBA play, KP also shared that the viral malady that afflicted him in the 2025 NBA Playoffs has subsided. "I feel fantastic, to be honest," he suggested. "I took time to rest after the season."

The Celtics closed out their 2025 Summer League schedule with a comprehensive victory over the Atlanta Hawks, winning 101-80 in Las Vegas.

May 7, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) shoots a free throw against the New York Knicks in the second half during game two of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden.