The winners and losers of the Pozin trade: The Hawks pick up the bargain, the Nets become the first round big player, and Green Kai successfully avoids taxes

(Original article was published on June 25, and the author is Andy Bailey in the open-air stands. The content of the article does not represent the translator's views)

We are about to witness one of the craziest offseasons in NBA history. The Celtics avoid the restrictions on the second tyrant line by opening a big sale, while cutting huge luxury tax bills. After cutting some salary through the Ju Holiday deal, the Celtics reached another three-party deal and sent Porzingis away.

ESPN famous reporter Shams took the lead in revealing the details of the transaction: the Hawks received the second round pick from Porzingis and the Celtics; the Nets received the No. 22nd year pick from Terence Mann and the Hawks; the Celtics received the second round pick from Nyan and the Cavaliers. Here are the winners and losers in this deal:

Winner: Atlanta Hawks

When Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the playoffs, a deal like this and previous Holiday trades became inevitable. With the team's core Tatum absent, it's almost meaningless to maintain the most expensive lineup in the league to compete for the championship. Therefore, the Hawks (and the Nets) were able to take advantage of this special situation and gain powerful players (or draft picks) at a very small price. The Hawks only gave out one first-round pick outside the lottery zone and two players who could not play as a starting player in most teams (Terrence Mann and George Nian), so they were exchanged for the starting inside line that could make the team's combat power soar if they remain healthy.

Of course, the key premise about Porzingis has always been health problems, and injuries (and the frequent illnesses in recent years) have severely limited his attendance throughout his career. But over the past seven years, the Latvian big man averaged 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2.1 three-pointers and 1.8 blocks per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of 37.1%. Porzingis' range of two steps outside the three-point line can open up space for Trae Young's breakthrough, which is a luxury lineup configuration that the latter has never experienced before.

The five-for-one lineup consisting of Trae Young, Porzingis, Jaylen Johnson, Rissache and Dyson Daniels will be the nightmare for the defenders. Although the cap production on the defensive end is not as good as its peak, Porzingis still has excellent awareness of protecting the basket and huge defensive deterrence. In short, the Hawks' strengthening today undoubtedly gave the team a qualitative leap in strength.

Losers: Terence Mann and George Nian

Although they have not played for a long time, both Mann and Nian have established a solid rotation position in the Hawks. As a substitute, the former can contribute 9.8 points per game in just 22.7 minutes, while the latter has become a bench bandit with an efficient performance of 12.1 points and 2.7 three-pointers (3-point shooting percentage of 41.3%). Now the two are forced to leave the Hawks, who are getting better and better, joining the Nets during the reconstruction period and the Celtics during the turbulent period respectively. The playoff prospects of these two teams are even slimmer than those of the Hawks. For Mann and Nian, the first half of the new season is likely to become a "job search display period" before next year's trading deadline.

Winner: Brooklyn Nets

Since the Celtics' core motivation for this deal is to avoid the second rich line (they succeeded, which will be described in detail later), the Nets took the opportunity to gain a contract that the Celtics were eager to throw their hands (Mann) and received an additional first-round pick as compensation. It is remarkable that the Nets now hold five first-round picks for this year's draft night (8th, 19th, 22nd, 26th and 27th picks). They can use these draft picks to bet on some potential stocks directly, with the existing rosters enough to accommodate rookies. A more radical approach is to package some draft picks with veterans such as Clarkston or Cameron Johnson to trade upwards on draft night. Holding such a wealth of draft assets at least provides the Nets with unprecedented operational flexibility.

Loser: The current labor-management agreement in the league

As the new labor-management agreement is implemented year by year, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to understand why the players agree to the restrictive clauses of the second rich line. Once the red line is crossed like the Celtics, the team's road to strengthening will be completely locked: the salary collected in the transaction cannot be higher than the given one, the player is prohibited from matching the salary, the loss of the mini middle class special case, and the number of first-round picks that can be traded is limited. If you exceed the line three times in five years, the next first round pick will automatically be downgraded to the last place.

Whether it is original intention or not, this labor-management agreement essentially punishes teams that strive for the championship. The Celtics could have rationalized luxury tax expenses with their identity as the 2024 championship, but Tatum's injury suddenly caused the model to collapse completely. Now this team that should have maintained its championship strength throughout the 2020s is forced to face the disintegration of the lineup. The balance of the alliance's competitive landscape (the superficial goal of the labor-management agreement) is important, but the current rules may oversuppress the competitiveness of strong teams.

is both a winner and a loser: the Boston Celtics

Last season and this season's Celtics can be armed to the teeth: they can play small balls with a large lineup, have an unlimited defense replacement system, Jaylen Brown, who averages 20+ per game, and Tatum, who has been selected for the first team of the All-A-League all year round. No matter which team you support, you must admit an objective fact: Tatum's unfortunate landing move instantly destroyed this super team that could have established a dynasty. Although Tatum may return to full health in the future and form a championship lineup, this team with a specific configuration no longer exists. This not only means the losses of the Celtics and their fans, but also the regret of the entire basketball world.

But if you look at it from a more calm actuarial perspective, the Celtics are also winners. Through this transaction, they successfully achieved their primary goal of avoiding the second rich line. In addition to avoiding severe penalties, the two operations together saved the team $180 million in luxury tax expenses. Although the new season may be in a pain period, the management is conducting the necessary lineup loss and restructuring for Tatum's expected return in 2026-27.

Original text: Andy Bailey

Compiled by: Li Taibai