Kristaps Porzingis is being traded by the Boston Celtics to the Atlanta Hawks, and part of what will be a three-team deal gives the Brooklyn Nets another selection in Wednesday's first round of the NBA draft, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.
Porzingis is going to the Hawks, while Georges Niang and a second-round pick will be acquired by Boston, and Brooklyn will wind up with Terance Mann and the No. 22 pick that is held by Atlanta in Wednesday's draft, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade isn't expected to be finalized until the start of the new league year on July 6.
ESPN first reported the trade, which was later confirmed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The move is the second major one by Boston of the week, after the team agreed to trade Jrue Holiday to Portland. The combination of those moves still has Boston past the tax line for next season but out from under the second apron, which gives the Celtics — who will be without Jayson Tatum for, at minimum, a significant portion of next season because of an Achilles tear — more flexibility moving forward.
Getting under the second apron is important; that threshold, once exceeded, limits ways that teams can trade for or sign players.
Porzingis — who, like Holiday, was part of the team that helped Boston win the 2024 NBA title — will make $30.7 million next season on an expiring contract. He was slowed by illness at times in the second half of this past season, as well as in Boston's playoff run this spring. But he intends to play for Latvia at EuroBasket this summer, a good sign.
“Thanks for all the support and questions about my health,” Porzingis posted on social media this week. “I’ve been feeling excellent all offseason and look forward to a healthy and strong European championship tournament."
Porzingis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 42 games this season.
The Nets now technically have five picks in Wednesday's first round. They own the Nos. 8, 19, 26 and 27 selections already, and the Hawks will essentially be picking for the Nets now at No. 22, as well.
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FILE - Boston Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis before Game 6 in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics Friday, May 16, 2025 in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II,File)
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and his family waved to a crowd of flag-waving New Year’s well-wishers gathered at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Friday.
Standing with his wife Masako and the rest of the royal family, he wished a happy new year to people lined up below the palace balcony, some shouting, “banzai" — Japanese for "long live.”
The annual New Year’s appearance by the emperor and his family draws huge crowds to the palace’s usually cloistered grounds in central Tokyo.
People stand in long lines, weathering the cold, for each of the five appearances during the day, as the imperial family remains relatively popular.
The emperor does not have political power but holds symbolic significance for Japan. He and his family are longtime advocates for peace, although World War II was fought in the name of Naruhito’s grandfather Hirohito.
In a statement released in advance, Naruhito noted that last year marked 80 years since the end of that war. He stressed the importance of the message of peace, given that war and strife continued in parts of the world.
“I deeply feel it’s important to continue with efforts among people for dialogue, trying to deepen mutual understanding, so we can build a world of peace,” he said in the statement.
In both the statement and comments Friday, he spoke about recent natural disasters such as earthquakes, heavy rainfall and snow, and forest fires.
In 2024, the annual appearance was canceled because of a New Year’s Day quake in the Noto Peninsula, a coastal area in central Japan, which killed hundreds of people. In 2021 and 2022, it got canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Princess Aiko, the imperial couple's only child, appeared with her parents at this year’s greeting, as did other relatives. She is at the center of a national debate about rules allowing only men to inherit to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
The presence of Naruhito’s nephew, Hisahito, also drew attention, as he now takes part in adult imperial events and is a possible heir to the throne. He is second in line after his father, the emperor’s brother.
Akihito, Naruhito’s father and emperor emeritus who abdicated in 2019, was also there with his wife Michiko, the emperor’s mother.
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Japan's Princess Kako and Prince Hisahito, daughter and son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, greet well-wishers during a public appearance for New Year's celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko greet well-wishers during a public appearance for New Year's celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan's Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko greet well-wishers during a public appearance for New Year's celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako greet well-wishers during a public appearance for New Year's celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan's Emperor Naruhito greets well-wishers during a public appearance for New Year's celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
