<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-real-reason-boston-traded-georges-niang-jazz');   ga('set', 'title', 'The real reason Celtics traded Georges Niang to Jazz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Celtics-Brad-Stevens-.jpg"><figcaption>Winslow Townson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>The real reason Celtics traded Georges Niang to Jazz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-07T08:49:08-07:00">August 7th, 8:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-07T12:38:54-07:00">August 7th, 12:38pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Brad Stevens has been a busy man this offseason for the Boston Celtics. Aside from meeting with and charting a path for the future with new ownership taking over in Boston, Stevens has also been tasked with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-recent-roster-move-second-apron-implications">significantly cutting the Celtics’ overall payroll</a> and tax bill. That is why Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were involved in separate trades that brought Anfernee Simons and Georges Niang to the C’s.</p><p>Of course, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-jayson-tatum-said-injury-rehab-patriots-visit">Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury</a> played a major role in these decisions to take a step back and endure a small retool during the 2025-26 season. Then again, it was inevitable that the Celtics would be forced to make tough roster decisions and cut a significant amount of money.</p><p>Even after trading for Simons and Niang, Stevens wasn’t done. Before he was even introduced to the team in a press conference, the Celtics traded Niang again, this time <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-boston-salary-dumps-kristaps-porzingis-trade-piece-jazz">sending him to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday</a>.</p><p>Along with trading the 32-year-old forward back to the team he spent four of his first five years in the league with, Boston also included two future second-round picks to acquire rookie RJ Luis Jr., who signed a two-way contract for the 2025-26 season.</p><p>The Jazz will be receiving a second-round pick in 2027 (best of BOS/ORL) and 2031 (best of BOS/CLE).</p><p>So why did the Celtics ultimately make this trade for a player who hasn’t even stepped foot in an NBA game?</p><p>The answer is simple: money.</p><h2><b>How Georges Niang trade saved Celtics financially</b></h2><p>Around this time in 2024, the Celtics were still celebrating their championship run and creating dreams of becoming the first team to go back-to-back since the 2016-17 and 2017-18 Golden State Warriors.</p><p>Now, Stevens and the Celtics are prepared to enter the 2025-26 season knowing that making the playoffs is their likely ceiling.</p><p>This is a “reset year” for the Celtics, and Tuesday’s trade involving Niang was yet another example of the organization making moves to significantly cut their overall costs.</p><p>By <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/kristaps-porzingis-trade-grade-hawks-celtics-deal">trading Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/sources-implications-celtics-blazers-trade-jrue-holiday-anfernee-simons">Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers</a> earlier this offseason, Boston saved itself over $250 million in salary and luxury tax payments. The decision to move Niang, along with two future second-round picks, saw the Celtics’ tax bill decline by nearly $43 million.</p><p>While this did increase slightly after they decided to sign Chris Boucher, Boston saw their <a href="https://x.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1952831386378756546" rel="noopener">overall tax bill</a> decrease from $540 million as of June 15 to $239 million as of August 5, when the Niang trade was agreed to, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN.</p><p>That is a significant financial drop, which has opened up options for the Celtics to rebuild their roster moving forward once Tatum is healthy and back on the court. It is expected that the organization will explore pathways to cutting down its tax bill and overall costs further entering the 2025-26 season, especially before the trade deadline in February.</p><p>The Celtics can move completely below the luxury tax line for the entire year if they can cut $12 million in salary.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The real reason Celtics traded Georges Niang to Jazz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-grades-georges-niang-trade-chris-boucher-signing');   ga('set', 'title', 'Celtics grades for Georges Niang trade, Chris Boucher signing');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Celtics-trade-grade-for-Georges-Niang-deal-with-Jazz.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics grades for Georges Niang trade, Chris Boucher signing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-06T04:42:56-07:00">August 6th, 4:42am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-06T04:42:56-07:00">August 6th, 4:42am</time><address><a>Daniel Donabedian</a>Daniel Donabedian is a beat reporter for ClutchPoints covering the Boston Celtics. He's also covered Villanova men's basketball and Big East basketball, building a strong reputation in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Celtics have kept busy this summer, moving around multiple key pieces in order to circumvent the second apron. And although Massachusetts native <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-georges-niang-public-enemy-no-1-kristaps-porzingis">Georges Niang was hoping to prove himself in Boston</a>, the forward was dealt to the Utah Jazz before he had a chance, departing on Tuesday afternoon <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-boston-salary-dumps-kristaps-porzingis-trade-piece-jazz">as part of a salary-dumping trade</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Boston Celtics are trading Georges Niang and two future second-round picks to the Utah Jazz for rookie RJ Luis Jr., sources tell ESPN. <a href="https://t.co/l7h0cGobfU">pic.twitter.com/l7h0cGobfU</a></p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1952824522052088018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The full swap sent two second-round picks and Niang — who played in over 200 games for the Jazz from 2018 to 2021 — to Utah in exchange for undrafted rookie RJ Luis Jr. But before the NBA world could break down this trade, <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1952829181558943800" rel="noopener">Boston made the news</a> again, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-boston-agrees-contract-historic-raptors-champion-jazz-trade">signing former Toronto Raptor Chris Boucher</a> to a one-year, $3.3 million contract, per ESPN insider Shams Charania.</p><p>Now that the dust has settled, let’s look at the Celtics’ latest offseason business and grade each decision, starting with Niang.</p><h2><b>Celtics trade Georges Niang and 2 second-rounders for RJ Luis Jr.</b></h2><p>While Niang grew up less than an hour from Beantown, there <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-fans-react-jaylen-brown-georges-niang-squashing-beef">weren’t many fans clamoring for him to come home</a>.</p><p>However, the 32-year-old knows what it takes to contribute to a winning culture, as he has the most regular season victories of any player in the 2020s (with just four more than Celtics star Jayson Tatum). Boston could’ve used a veteran presence like that with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-rumors-al-horford-exit-all-but-confirmed">center Al Horford likely on his way out</a>, and it doesn’t hurt that Niang is also a 39.9% 3-point shooter for his career.</p><p>That still wasn’t enough to convince de facto Celtics general manager Brad Stevens to keep Niang around. Yet, this move, like many of the Celtics’ recent deals, largely revolved around cost-cutting.</p><p>After removing Niang’s $8 million contract and adding Boucher, the Celtics are $7.8 million under the second apron. That’s a decent amount of breathing room in comparison to when the offseason started, giving Boston’s front office more financial flexibility while it tries to keep building around Tatum and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Celtics updated roster <a href="https://t.co/8tZT0uC090">pic.twitter.com/8tZT0uC090</a></p><p>— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1952836579179020450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>As for the other side of this trade, Luis Jr. is an intriguing prospect with some New England roots of his own. The 6-foot-7 wing spent his freshman year with the UMass Minutemen before transferring to St. John’s in 2023.</p><p>In Queens, Luis Jr. blossomed into a reliable starter, averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game during the 2024-25 season. For his efforts, he was named Big East Player of the Year, but his college career didn’t have a storybook ending.</p><p>After Luis Jr. helped the Red Storm blow out the Omaha Mavericks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, he went up against coach John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks. This matchup was a nightmare for the All-American, as he finished with nine points and missed 14 of his 17 field goal attempts in the upset defeat. To make matters even worse, St. John’s coach (and former Celtics skipper) <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-basketball/st-johns-basketball-news-rj-luis-transfer-portal-march-madness-benching">Rick Pitino benched Luis Jr. with almost five minutes left</a> in the contest, surely hurting his best player’s draft stock.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"You know he was 3-17… You're answering your own [question]. I'm not going to knock one of my players." </p><p>St. John's HC Rick Pitino responded to reporters asking about RJ Luis being benched late in the loss to Arkansas <a href="https://t.co/j5pRJJnFMG">pic.twitter.com/j5pRJJnFMG</a></p><p>— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBBonFOX/status/1903572416384860312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Even though the 22-year-old wasn’t selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, he landed a two-way contract with the Jazz. The Celtics now have control of that agreement, meaning Luis Jr. can spend time developing with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate.</p><p>Since he’s a subpar 3-point shooter coming off a poor March Madness performance, Luis Jr. has a lot to prove. But, for all his shortcomings, he excelled in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball and has more upside than most undrafted guys.</p><p>Given the addition of his talent and the subtraction of Niang’s contract, this isn’t a bad swap for the Celtics. Of course, it’s more money-related than anything and probably won’t pay dividends immediately, preventing it from truly moving the needle for Boston.</p><p><b>Grade: B</b></p><h2><b>Celtics sign Chris Boucher to a one-year, $3.3 million contract</b></h2><p>It’s no secret that the Celtics were desperate for frontcourt help after losing starting center Kristaps Porzingis and backup big man Luke Kornet this summer.</p><p>Until Tuesday, Boston’s only centers were rookie Amari Williams, first-year Celtic Luka Garza, and potential starter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-center-neemias-queta-offseason-knee-surgery">Neemias Queta, who’s not too far removed from knee surgery</a>.</p><p>This lackluster group needed a boost, explaining why the C’s brought in Boucher at an affordable price. The 32-year-old center is no longer in his prime, but he still has more experience than every other Celtics center combined.</p><p>Boucher played in at least 50 games for the Toronto Raptors in six consecutive seasons and managed to average 10 points in just over 17 minutes per outing during the 2024-25 campaign. In addition, he’s an adequate 3-point shooter with exceptional length and was the last player left from the Raptors 2019 championship team for a reason.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chris Boucher as a Raptor:</p><p>— 1st in bench points<br>— 1st in bench rebounds<br>— 1st in bench blocks<br>— 1st in bench stocks<br>— 1st in bench threes<br>— 1st in bench free throws<br>— 1st in bench wins<br>— 1st in bench double-doubles </p><p>Going to Boston. <a href="https://t.co/fPANrmH8Ko">pic.twitter.com/fPANrmH8Ko</a></p><p>— StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1952830291451469848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Similarly to Niang, the two-time NBA champion and former G League MVP understands what winning basketball looks like in the NBA. He also understands how the Green Team operates, as he’s played in 22 games against the Celtics, even dropping 30 points on them in a narrow loss back in 2021.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/nba-rumors-celtics-longtime-interest-in-raptors-big-man-hints-at-trade-pursuit">Stevens has an affinity for unheralded players who’ve burned his team</a> — just ask Oshae Brissett, Dalano Banton, and others. Boucher serves as another example of this, except he has a shot at earning more minutes than all of the aforementioned names.</p><p>With Boucher, Boston is addressing an area of need without breaking the bank. That’s essentially Boston’s team-building strategy while Tatum recovers, so Stevens deserves some credit for staying active in free agency.</p><p>Ultimately, the Celtics still aren’t in great shape to seriously contend for a championship at the moment. Boucher is a step in the right direction, yet there’s no guarantee this acquisition is more than a rental amidst a potential down year.</p><p><b>Grade: A-</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics grades for Georges Niang trade, Chris Boucher signing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-georges-niang-public-enemy-no-1-kristaps-porzingis');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Celtics’ Georges Niang is ‘public enemy No. 1’ after Kristaps Porzingis trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Why-Georges-Niang-is-public-enemy-No.-1-after-Kristaps-Porzingis-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Celtics’ Georges Niang is ‘public enemy No. 1’ after Kristaps Porzingis trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-23T11:59:29-07:00">July 23rd, 11:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-23T11:59:29-07:00">July 23rd, 11:59am</time><address><a>Daniel Donabedian</a>Daniel Donabedian is a beat reporter for ClutchPoints covering the Boston Celtics. He's also covered Villanova men's basketball and Big East basketball, building a strong reputation in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In theory, Boston Celtics fans should love forward Georges Niang. The 32-year-old hails from Massachusetts and grew up less than an hour away from TD Garden. He also plays selflessly and is all about team, explaining why he has the most regular season wins of any NBA player since 2020 (with Celtics star Jayson Tatum close behind). But, in reality, a lot of Celtics fans <i>do not</i> love Niang, and he knows it.</p><p>The NBA journeyman arrived in Beantown this offseason <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/kristaps-porzingis-massive-trade-means-celtics-offseason">following a significant trade that sent former Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks</a>. Niang believes this summer swap — barely a year removed from Boston’s 2024 championship run that Porzingis was a key part of — is a major reason why Celtics fans aren’t thrilled about his homecoming.</p><p>“You know how tough Boston fans are, they don’t give a s**t if I’m from Boston or not,” Niang <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfttqNkUjBs&amp;pp=0gcJCccJAYcqIYzv" rel="noopener">told former NBA veterans</a> Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem on ‘The OGs’ podcast. “‘You just took our Unicorn and replaced it with a Minivan. Get the f**k outta here.’ I’m like public enemy No. 1. They’re like, ‘What is this? This ain’t shiny. It’s got scratches on it, man.”‘</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mass. native Georges Niang realizes he’s not winning any popularity contests in Boston following the Porzingis trade:</p><p>“They don’t give a s*** if I’m from Boston. ‘You just took our Unicorn and replaced it with a Mini Van’…I’m like public enemy number 1.”</p><p>(Via <a href="https://twitter.com/theOGsShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theOGsShow</a>) <a href="https://t.co/qcxc9MrmxT">pic.twitter.com/qcxc9MrmxT</a></p><p>— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) <a href="https://twitter.com/danield1214/status/1948005743934005521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Niang, who nicknamed himself the “Minivan” for his reliability and humility, might have a point about Celtics fans being upset about losing Porzingis. The ex-Celtic is often called a “Unicorn” for his unique mix of size and skill, and Boston will miss the talented 7-footer on both ends of the floor.</p><h2><b>Why don’t most Celtics fans like Georges Niang?</b></h2><p>However, a fair portion of the ire Niang faces has nothing to do with who he was traded for. During Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-nba-makes-final-decision-jaylen-brown-technical-after-georges-niang-incident">the former Philadelphia 76er grabbed the knee of Celtics star Jaylen Brown</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jaylen Brown and Georges Niang were both given a technical foul after Niang appeared to grab Brown's leg from the bench. <a href="https://t.co/rBwelUVROZ">pic.twitter.com/rBwelUVROZ</a></p><p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1657847677378494466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Since he did this from the bench and not amid the chaos of the on-court action, Niang was caught red-handed on replay and received a technical foul. While the New England native denied any wrongdoing, the hold transpired right when Brown and the Celtics were trying to push the pace.</p><p>The Celts went on to win that do-or-die game in dominant fashion and eliminate the rival 76ers, but many Celtics fans never forgave Niang. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-fans-react-jaylen-brown-georges-niang-squashing-beef">Fortunately for him, Brown seemingly has</a>, as the two were spotted together this summer during a WNBA game between the Connecticut Sun and the Indiana Fever.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">JB 🤝 Niang ☘️ <a href="https://t.co/9omGD7UKDB">pic.twitter.com/9omGD7UKDB</a></p><p>— Boston Celtics (@celtics) <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1945314717569896927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>If Niang truly wants a pardon from the Boston faithful, all he has to do is contribute to winning. The Celtics are severely undermanned <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-jayson-tatum-relentless-mindset-full-display-secret-workout">due to Tatum’s Achilles injury</a> and a multitude of offseason departures, making Niang’s role on the roster more crucial than it would’ve been in previous seasons.</p><p>The NBA vet understands that but knows there’s always an expectation of winning in Boston, no matter what the roster looks like. And if Niang made one thing clear in his time on ‘The OGs,’ it’s that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to help his hometown team.</p><p>“You don’t want to be in Boston losing, that’s for sure,” he said. “What can I do this summer? Can I come in, in the best shape that I’m in, and also mentor, and kind of teach, and also learn — because they’ve won championships. And kind of dial all that into one, and focus every day on how can I win the day, and then win games.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Celtics’ Georges Niang is ‘public enemy No. 1’ after Kristaps Porzingis trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-fans-react-jaylen-brown-georges-niang-squashing-beef');   ga('set', 'title', 'Celtics fans react to Jaylen Brown, Georges Niang squashing playoff beef at Summer League');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Brown-guards-Niang.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Celtics fans react to Jaylen Brown, Georges Niang squashing playoff beef at Summer League</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-16T14:54:35-07:00">July 16th, 2:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-16T14:54:35-07:00">July 16th, 2:54pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s been an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-derrick-white-breaks-silence-on-trade-rumors">eventful offseason thus far for the Boston Celtics</a>, who have traded 2024 NBA<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-brad-stevens-admits-hardest-part-jrue-holiday-kristaps-porzingis-trades"> champions Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis</a> as part of their effort to get under the second apron. In the Porzingis deal, which sent the Latvian big man to the Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics got back wing shooter Georges Niang.</p><p>As it happens, Niang has quite a history with the Celtics, most notably during the 2023 NBA playoffs, when he was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. During the second round series between those two teams, Niang drew the fury of the Celtics’ fanbase when he appeared to grab Celtics star Jaylen Brown’s knee on the sidelines during Game 7, which led to a brief skirmish between the two sides.</p><p>Celtics fans were quick to recall that memory when the team announced the trade for Niang–the reception wasn’t exactly warm. However, Brown and Niang appear to have squashed their beef, if <a href="https://x.com/celtics/status/1945314717569896927" rel="noopener">a recent photo</a> posted by the Celtics of the two at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is any indication.</p><p>https://x.com/celtics/status/1945314717569896927</p><p>Still, fans in the comment section on X, formerly Twitter, weren’t thrilled.</p><p>“Still don’t forgive him, get him off the team,” wrote one angry fan.</p><p>However, other fans were more understanding.</p><p>“Ok if JB forgives him my beef is over,” wrote another.</p><h2><b>A vastly different Celtics squad</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Porzingis.jpg"><figcaption>Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There’s a real possibility that Georges Niang will start for the Celtics in 2025-26, at least to begin the year.</p><p>The only two guaranteed starters for Boston at this point are Brown and Derrick White. Jayson Tatum is expected to miss the entirety of the season with the torn Achilles injury he suffered in the second round this year against the New York Knicks. Holiday and Porzingis were the other two starters from last year’s team and both are gone now.</p><p>Luke Kornet has departed for the San Antonio Spurs in free agency, and Al Horford is widely expected to follow him out the door.</p><p>It remains to be seen what kind of reception Niang will get from Celtics fans when his name is announced on opening night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics fans react to Jaylen Brown, Georges Niang squashing playoff beef at Summer League

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-georges-niang-shares-eye-opening-good-habits-warriors-takedown');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks’ Georges Niang shares eye-opening take on ‘good habits’ after Warriors takedown');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hawks-news-Georges-Niang-shares-eye-opening-take-on-good-habits-after-Warriors-takedown.jpg"></figure><h1>Hawks’ Georges Niang shares eye-opening take on ‘good habits’ after Warriors takedown</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-22T20:33:58-07:00">March 22nd, 8:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-23T07:00:09-07:00">March 23rd, 7:00am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Hawks held down the fort at home against the Golden State Warriors, <a href="https://x.com/ATLHawks/status/1903620310735171611" rel="noopener">winning 124-115</a>. The Hawks had the lead for over 46 minutes in the game, and every time it felt the Warriors were going on a run, they had an answer for every opportunity. Those are the things that can shape a winning team, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/hawks-news-georges-niang-issues-sacrifice-take-building-chemistry-hawks">Georges Niang knows what it takes</a> for a win like this to happen.</p><p>“The biggest thing for us is continuing to focus on building good habits,” Niang said after the game. “When you look at our team, there’s a lot of first, second, third, fourth, or fifth-year guys. If you can consistently build habits of no matter what happens win, loss, draw, happy, mad, sad, and I’m going to do these three or four things night in or night out basis, I think at the end of the road you see that you start to become successful, and success is not linear.”</p><p>With the Hawks coming down to the stretch of the season, every game is important if they want to end up in a good position at the end of the year. The team is starting to see their hard work pay off, and from here on, it’s going to take consistency to stay in this flow state they’re in.</p><p>“We won four in a row, then we lost to Brooklyn, and now we win two in a row, and it’s like we want to keep that going,” Niang said. “You also want to win in the margins, that’s contesting shots or always running back on defense, building a wall, or rebounding. You want to build those habits to where they become second nature.”</p><h2><b>Georges Niang, Hawks defeat Warriors for second straight win</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Georges-Niang-1.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It was an impressive win for the Hawks as they stayed fairly consistent on both sides of the ball throughout the game. They set the tone in the first quarter, opening up with a 40-23 lead and shooting 65% from the field. The Warriors made a run in the second quarter, but the Hawks were still able to maintain, with Onyeka Okongwu scoring 13 points in the period.</p><p>The second half belonged to Niang as he knocked down six 3-pointers to help the Hawks maintain their lead. Though Niang was on a heater, he still wanted to play within the flow of the offense.</p><p>“I learned at a young age that calling for the ball usually ends in the reverse, so I usually like to have my eyes wide open and show my hands, maybe clap,” Niang said. “Obviously, when you’re rolling, you have a sense of that, and you never want to make it above you.”</p><p>Caris LeVert and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/hawks-trae-young-reaches-steve-nash-territory-with-big-night-vs-pacers">Trae Young brought it in for the Hawks</a> in the end, and with them having another scorer to help down the stretch it brings another dynamic to the team.</p><p>“He brings a lot of scoring ability, he brings a lot of attention,” Young said after the game. “So when I’m off the ball and he has the ball in his hands, more times than not, the guy is face-guarding me now and not letting me go. Gary Payton II was on me tonight, holding me the whole time.</p><p>“Whenever he starts going, beating his defender, and getting to the lane, it forces the defense to help in other ways so I’m able to get the ball later in the clock, get downhill and shoot a floater, find somebody else late in the clock. That just helps us and adds another dimension to the team.”</p><p>It was another true team win for the Hawks, and they’re going to need that going into the final weeks of the season.</p><p>“I think when you have a locker room full of good guys that are willing to put their egos aside and put winning in the forefront of everything,” Niang said. “Our leader is Quin Snyder and then the coaching staff, and I think coach Q does a good job of spelling things out of what he expects from guys and being honest enough where you know what’s expected of you on a night-in and night-out basis.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
9.9	3.4	1.4	0.2	0.4

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
9.9	3.4	1.4	0.2	0.4

Georges Niang

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