Georges Niang knows the drill, it appears.
The veteran forward was part of a three-team trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks and Niang to the Boston Celtics in early July. The deal was primarily a cost-cutting move for the Celtics, who saved more than $22 million in cap space by replacing Porzingis’ $30.7 million salary with Niang’s $8.2 million expiring contract.
That’s a positive development in Boston’s quest to get under the second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax. But with all due respect to Niang, the trade doesn’t exactly get the Celtics closer to Banner 19. And as a Massachusetts native who grew up in Methuen as a Celtics fan, he’s well aware of how his addition is being received.
“I’m a Boston kid — I then get traded for Porzingis,” Niang told co-hosts Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller on The OGs podcast. “You know how tough Boston fans are. They don’t give a s— if I’m from Boston or not.
“They’re like, ‘You just took our unicorn and replaced it with a minivan. Get the f— out of here!’ I’m like public enemy No. 1. They’re like, ‘What is this? This ain’t shiny, man, this got scratches on it, man.'”
There’s a reason why Porzingis is nicknamed “The Unicorn” and Niang goes by “The Minivan.” The former is a highly-skilled, 7-foot-2 big man who’s an elite 3-point shooter and rim protector, while the latter is a wider-bodied, 6-foot-7 forward who’s more of a “glue guy” role player than game-changer.
To Niang’s credit, he understands that talent discrepancy and is determined to make an impact however he can on a Celtics team that’s in “reset” mode after losing Jayson Tatum to a ruptured Achilles.
“Now I’m kind of in the mode of like, OK, obviously JT is out, but Boston has done a really good job, if you’ve looked at it when guys miss games, (they still win),” Niang continued. “It’s their culture, it’s who they are.
“So it’s like, ‘OK Georges, now what can you do to maximize what you have to help them win games?’ Because you don’t wanna be in Boston losing, that’s for sure.
“That’s kind of how I’ve transitioned my mindset. It’s like, ‘OK, 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 (the younger players), and also learn, because they’ve won championships, and kind of dial that all into one and focus every day on like, ‘How can I win the day, and then win games?'”
Whether Niang actually gets that opportunity is unclear. The Celtics are currently just barely over the second apron and could further cut costs by dealing Niang or Anfernee Simons to another team, either before the 2025-26 season or ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February.
If Niang is on the Opening Day roster, however, he’ll be fully prepared for whatever reception C’s fans give him at TD Garden.
Read the full article here