Kristaps Porziņģis Trade Saved By Memphis Grizzlies

On June 22, it was revealed that the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards were working on a deal to send center Kristaps Porziņģis to Boston. It was the second major trade of the offseason, and also the second featuring the Wizards. On June 18, they sent Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, and a package of picks. Porziņģis has been a key contributor for the Wizards. Joining the team via a trade in 2022, Porziņģis had a career-high 23.2 points per game. Furthermore, he had a career-high shooting percentage of 49.8%. Acquiring Porziņģis would earn the Celtics a definite upgrade at center. Porziņģis is a decade younger than current standing center Al Horford and had a much stronger 2022-23 season.

The Porziņģis trade was meant to be a three-team deal also featuring the LA Clippers. The Wizards would receive Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey, the 30th pick in the 2023 Draft from the Clippers, and Danilo Gallinari from Boston. Meanwhile, Boston would receive Kristaps Porziņģis. Finally, the Clippers would get Malcolm Brogdon from the Celtics. However, around 90 minutes after the news was broken, the deal had reportedly fallen apart. With the Clippers pulling out, the Wizards and Celtics were left scrambling to complete the deal before the deadline on Porziņģis’ player option passed.

Grizzlies Join Porziņģis Deal

Per ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Porziņģis deal was saved by the intervention of the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies, who have been linked with trades elsewhere, took the place of the Clippers in the deal. The Celtics receive Porziņģis, Memphis’ 2023 first-round draft pick, and Golden State’s 2024 top-four protected first-round draft pick. Meanwhile, Washington receives Tyus Jones from the Grizzlies, and Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and a 2023 second-round pick from Boston. Finally, Memphis receives Marcus Smart from the Celtics.

It’s a complicated trade with a lot of moving parts. However, Boston gets a new franchise center and two first-round picks to play with. The Grizzlies get a workhorse veteran who could also help with their locker room atmosphere. Furthermore, the Wizards get a collection of veteran talent as they look to retool their roster and start their rebuild. Who do you think won this trade? Let us know in the comments. Follow all the latest NBA news here at HotNewHipHop.

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Boston Celtics Reportedly Pursuing Kristaps Porziņģis

The Boston Celtics were so close and yet so far from the NBA finals this season. Maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference, given how dominant the Nuggets were. However, the Celtics became just the fourth team in league history to overcome a 0-3 deficit before also becoming the fourth team to then lose the subsequent game seven. While they have retained the star tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics are eager to put together a roster to find them a championship.

Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards are at the other end of the contention spectrum. In recent days, they decided to finally trigger a full rebuild, trading Bradley Beal to the Suns. However, the return package was definitely less than expected, only netting them Chris Paul, Landrey Shamet, and some second-round picks. Perhaps because of this, recent reports suggest the Wizards aren’t done dealing.

Celtics Want Sign-And-Trade For Porziņģis

Per Shams Charania, the Boston Celtics are in talks with the Washington Wizards to acquire center and former fourth-overall pick Kristaps Porziņģis. Porziņģis is a Lativan star drafted in 2015 after beginning his pro career with Sevilla. He has been a key contributor for the Wizards. Joining the team via a trade in 2022, Porziņģis had a career-high 23.2 points per game. Furthermore, he had a career-high shooting percentage of 49.8%. 2023-24 represents a player option year for Porziņģis, who stands to make $36 million if he opts in. It’s believed that the Celtics would rather he opt-in and then be traded to them, rather than pursue him in free agency.

Acquiring Porziņģis would earn the Celtics a definite upgrade at center. Porziņģis is a decade younger than current standing center Al Horford. Furthermore, the Latvian had vastly superior numbers in every statistical category. He could be a crucial piece in a Celtics title run. However, it remains to be seen what sort of compensation the Wizards would want in return. Additionally, the loss of Porziņģis would mean that the Wizards would have parted ways with their top three scorers from last season. This would be the case after the Beal trade and Kyle Kuzma opting out of his player option year. This is a developing story and we’ll have any updates here on HotNewHipHop.

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SOURCE SPORTS: Brad Stevens Says Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla Will Return Next Year

Brad Stevens Says Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla Will Return Next Year

Following their Game 7 loss to the Miami HEAT, NBA fans wondered about the future of Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla. Team president Brad Stevens revealed that Mazulla would return next season.

“He’s a terrific leader,” Stevens said. “He’ll only get better at anything that he can learn from this year, because he’s constantly trying to learn. And he’s accountable.”

Although many pointed toward coming up short in making the NBA Finals, Mazzulla did take over a team in turmoil from the Ime Udoka scandal while having the second-best record in the NBA.

Mazzulla will have some work to do in rounding out his coaching staff, as ESPN reports assistants Ben Sullivan, Aaron Miles, and Mike Mose will join Udoka in Houston.

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SOURCE SPORTS: MIA-BOS Game 7 was TNT’s Highest Watched East Finals Game of All-Time

HEAT Blow Out Celtics to Win East Finals Game 7

A ton of people watched Game 7 between the Miami HEAT and Boston Celtics. The HEAT won 103-84 to go on to the NBA Finals in front of an average viewing audience of 11.9 million people.

The 2023 East Finals Game 7 was the most-watched NBA Eastern Conference Finals game of all time. The game peaked at 14.2 million viewers, and the complete set of games was the most viewed conference finals on TNT in a decade.

According to Front Office Sports, Game 7 was the third most-watched NBA on TNT ever and topped the 2013 ECF battle between the LeBron James and Dwyane Wade-led HEAT against Paul George’s Indiana Pacers.

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Draymond Green Roasts The Boston Celtics After Game 7 Loss

After becoming just the fourth team in NBA to come back from a 0-3 deficit in the playoffs, the Boston Celtics couldn’t become the first team to win a playoff series overcoming that deficit. The Celtics were blown out at home by the Miami Heat, 103-84. Twitter was quick to roast the Celtics for their subpar performance.

However, one particular criticism that stood out came from Draymond Green. Despite his own second-round playoff exit, Green has become a pivotal voice from the sidelines. Furthermore, there was no way that Green was staying silent as the Celtics crashed out in one of the most humiliating ways possible.

Green Roasts The Celtics

“The Boston Celtics are who we thought they were… They did not look like they were ready for the moment… All of a sudden they looked like they couldn’t play basketball with their left hand again,” Green said on his podcast in the minutes after the Celtics lost on national TV. Jaylen Brown had a team-high 19 points in the Game 7 loss, while the team went 9-of-42 from three-point range. However, Green’s comments are also a common sentiment that has followed the Celtics like the plague throughout these playoffs.

Despite entering the postseason as the second seed, the Celtics have never played like a second seed. They needed six games to knock off the seven-seed Hawks. Furthermore, they needed to come back multiple times against the Sixers in the Conference Semifinals. While team stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have had historic highs, the moments of true team cohesion have been few and far between. Meanwhile, head coach Joe Mazzulla likely saved his job by getting the Celtics from 0-3 to 3-4, but a number of big questions remain about the team. What do they need to do to actually become the team that can make the NBA Finals consistently? Furthermore, how do you feel about Green’s comments? Let us know in the comments below. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.

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Jack Harlow Was Crowned The New ‘Drake Curse’ By Boston Celtics Fans After The Team Lost Game 7 Of The Eastern Conference Finals

Anytime Drake publicly declares his love for a sports organization, fans of the club brace for the worse. This athletic superstition has been named the “Drake Curse.” But, according to Boston Celtics fans, there’s another rapper people need to be worried about.

Jack Harlow threw his support behind the team for the Eastern Conference. But, unfortunately, the Mean Green didn’t pull out the victory during game 7 of the series leading the Miami Heat to head to the NBA Finals. So now, Celtics fans are crowning Jack Harlow the new “Drake Curse” after the team blew their home-court advantage.

Seated courtside in his Celtics-branded varsity jacket, the “They Don’t Love It” rapper quickly became a target on social media. On Twitter, fans flooded the platform with anger, one writing, “Jack Harlow really is the next Drake, bro put a curse on the Celtics right now.”

Another chimed in, tweeting, “I guess Jack Harlow is gonna be the white Drake. Swoop in and curse a team.”

Pointing out the irony in the situation, one fan wrote, “Jack Harlow is giving the Celtics the Drake curse wearing that Celtics jacket..and didn’t he make a song called ‘Tyler Herro,’” after a Heat player.

Some didn’t find any humor in loss, posting, “Jack Harlow, this is your fault. Go curse another team — you lame ass.”

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Jack Harlow Replaces Drake As The New Sports Curse

Jack Harlow was one of the many stars at the Boston Celtics game last night. Overall, it was a massive game for the Celtics. They were playing the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Heading into this game, the Celtics had just come off of a three-game winning streak. After going down 0-3 in the series, they were subsequently able to come back. However, they ended up losing in Game 7 by a considerable margin. Although it was a blowout, the Heat will definitely take the NBA Finals appearance.

Prior to the match, Jack Harlow arrived at the arena with a considerable amount of fanfare behind him. It was immediately clear that the fans were excited to see him at the arena. Moreover, he was wearing a gorgeous Boston Celtics varsity jacket. However, he was roasted for the jacket considering he has a song called “Tyler Herro,” who is a player on the Heat. Either way, it’s clear that Harlow’s fandom was not enough to give the Cs the win. In fact, he may have been more of a curse.

Read More: Jack Harlow Reflects On “Dave” Appearance: “Enjoyed Every Second”

Jack Harlow Reps Boston

For years, Drake used to be roasted by fans for constantly cursing teams. Whenever Drizzy would wear a piece of team merch, that squad would go on to lose an important game. Overall, it was a tired joke, although it persisted for years. Once the Toronto Raptors won an NBA title, the curse seemed to have been lifted. Now, many are saying that Jack Harlow has taken the title away. While there isn’t enough evidence for this just yet, perhaps we will see soon enough.

The Curse Is Real

Below, you can see all of the people who are perpetuating the idea that Harlow has cursed the Celtics. Of course, these are just jokes right now. Regardless, Harlow has plenty of opportunities to prove this right. For instance, the Stanley Cup Finals are set to begin soon. If he were to pick the Florida Panthers as his team, and the Golden Knights won, then we would absolutely be in a new era of curse-dom. You can see what people had to say, down below.

Read More: Logic Shouts Out Jack Harlow & Playboi Carti

Skip Bayless Apologizes To His Wife

Skip Bayless is a man who is very much hated by the sports world. Overall, this is due to the fact that he is a huge hater. Although he has been a journalist for many years, some find his takes to be offensive. Moreover, his LeBron James hatred has certainly carried him over the years. That said, he is wildly entertaining and quite frankly, downright hilarious. Whether it be Twitter or Undisputed, Skip is able to find a way to entertain us. He is like a method actor that would make the likes of Jeremy Strong and Daniel Day-Lewis blush.

Last night, Skip Bayless was watching Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics. For much of this series, Skip was pulling for the Heat. Consequently, you can imagine just how worried he was about the lead that the Heat had given up. Of course, the Heat won last night, and subsequently, Bayless was very happy. In fact, he took to Twitter with an apology to his wife. The reason? Well, apparently he had a bit of a tantrum after Game 6 on Saturday night.

Read More: Skip Bayless Flexes Death Row Chain After Sixers & Suns Wins

Skip Bayless Stream Of Consciousness

“Please forgive me, Ernestine. I am sorry about the fit I threw on Saturday night when I came within a tenth of a second of a great pick – Heat in 6,” Bayless began. “I am crazy happy now. YOU WERE RIGHT: You kept saying, ‘There’s still another game left.’ Yes, but … YOU CALLED IT.” In the replies, many fans pointed out that Bayless could have just gone to the next room to apologize. But no. Instead, he took to Twitter and provided us with some entertainment instead. To be honest, we appreciate it.

Now, Skip is saying that the Heat will beat the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. That is going to be a tall task for sure. The Heat are the underdogs, especially as an eighth seed. Moreover, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are going to have something to say. They are a very complete team and will be looking to crush the Heat in four or five. Let us know who you think will take the title, in the comments section below.

Read More: Skip Bayless Wins Over The Internet With Hilarious Phil Jackson Diss

Celtics Roasted After Game 7 Loss To The Heat

Last night, the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat played in a Game 7 that could have been historic. Overall, the Heat were up 3-0 in the series. However, they blew their large lead, which made the series go 7. If they lost, they would become the first team to lose a series after being up 3-0. It would have been a horrific collapse that would have been a stain on Jimmy Butler and his legacy. Although, the Heat were able to pull out the win, and they did so in a blowout fashion.

Early in the game, Jayson Tatum went down with an injury. However, he remained in the game and finished it out. That said, he was clearly hampered as he only managed to score 14 points. He was not good for large portions of the match, and the Celtics felt those effects pretty immediately. Meanwhile, the Heat were able to take advantage of these weaknesses and busted the game wide open in the fourth quarter. Consequently, they are now off to the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2020 NBA Bubble.

Celtics Lose In A Blowout

Jimmy Butler and company now get to play against the Denver Nuggets, who were fantastic this season. The Nuggets will get home court, where they have not lost a game all postseason. Overall, they will be looking to continue that trend. With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray leading the way, it does seem like the Heat are massive underdogs. After all, they are an eighth seed that was a quarter away from losing in the play-in round to the Chicago Bulls.

Twitter Reacts

As for the Boston Celtics, they continue to be roasted on social media. Fans around the NBA do not have much love for Boston. This can be said about the NFL, MLB, and even the NHL, where the Boston Bruins are despised. Overall, the Celtics demise has been televised, and the people could not be any happier. Let us know what you thought about last night’s game, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news and updates from around the sports world.

SOURCE SPORTS: East Finals MVP Jimmy Butler on Beating Celtics: ‘Nobody Is Satisfied. We Haven’t Done Anything’

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Jimmy Butler dropped 28 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, leading the Miami HEAT past the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. After the win, Butler was named series MVP, holding the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP award. But if you ask Jimmy Buckets, the HEAT has done nothing.

“I just know why Coach Pat and Coach Spoelstra wanted me to be here,” Butler said to ESPN. “And that’s to compete at a high level and to win championships.

“I know that the group that they put around me at all times is going to give me an opportunity to do so. … I know the work that we all put into it, so I know what we’re capable of. Nobody is satisfied. We haven’t done anything. We don’t play just to win the Eastern Conference; we play to win the whole thing.”

The HEAT will get guard Tyler Herro back in the middle of the NBA Finals but the team has made adjustments all playoffs long.

“When a guy goes down, the next guy could fill in that gap and do exactly what that guy that went down did — and do it at a high level,” Butler said. “Then be humble enough to know that when that guy comes back, you’ve got to take a step back and get back in your role. Nobody ever complains. They always do exactly what you ask of them to do, which is why you want to play with guys like that, which is why they are the reason we win so many games.

“I don’t call them role players; I call them teammates, because your role can change any given day.”

Who do you have to win the NBA Finals? Miami HEAT at Denver Nuggets begin on Thursday.

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