6. Kristaps Porzingis (player option)
Full disclosure, I had a strong belief that Kristaps Porzingis was going to opt-out and secure a long-term deal after having one of the best seasons of his career this past year with the Washington Wizards. Instead, Kristaps decided to opt into the final year of his deal after it was known that the team decided to trade him to the Boston Celtics in a three-team deal.
Kristaps was officially traded to the Celtics ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft. This past season with the Wizards, Kristaps averaged a career-high 23 points, eight rebounds, and three assists per game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent shooting from 3-point range. However, without the guarantee of a rich contract offer in free agency, Kristaps decided to take the $36 million option for next season.
It’ll be interesting to see how it ends up playing out for Kristaps but he’s clearly betting on himself in hopes of replicating his production this past season in an attempt to strike gold next summer in free agency.
I think the Celtics are a great fit for what Kristaps brings to the table.
Prediction: Opt-in, Boston Celtics