The Boston Celtics made one of the boldest moves in recent NBA history to kick off this year’s offseason. Trading away Marcus Smart to get Kristaps Porzingis was as controversial as potentially impactful.
On paper, Porzingis gives them just the kind of player they need to get over the hump. But he has a history of injuries, and Smart had been their locker room leader for quite a while now.
Add losing Grant Williams to the mix as well, and Los Angeles Lakers great Michael Cooper believes the Celtics got a lot worse, going as far as to question Porzingis’ pedigree in the league.
Michael Cooper Puts Celtics On Blast
“The Boston Celtics take three steps back,” Cooper said on Showtime with Coop. “How do you do that? You lose Grant Williams. You f*ck around and lose Marcus Smart, your heart and soul of your team.”
“Who the hell is he? [Porzingis]” Cooper said. “The one thing I’ll say about him is that he looks like a Celtic. That guy there was a flop in Dallas, was a flop in Washington. This guy was brought over from Europe. He is probably here to be a marquee player.”
Porzingis hasn’t even suited up, and he’s already out with plantar fascitis, and the Celtics lost a former Defensive Player of the Year to get him. This was a risky gamble and only time will tell who won this transaction.
