Why Kristaps Porzingis Thought About the Eagles When He Traded

Kristaps Porzingis was still half asleep when he The Latvian big man’s phone started buzzing in the morning it was changed to Atlanta Hawks. Dozens of texts filled his screen. He quickly understood what they meant. Porzingis’ time with The Boston Celtics were done. Back home in Latvia, Porzingis opened a group chat awaiting confirmation of his next destination. Instead, he saw three bird emojis.

“I was like, ‘Eagles? What is this?'” Porzingis he recalled in a recent conversation with The Athletic. “And then I was like, ohhhhh, Hawks. Interesting.”

Atlanta came out of nowhere to land the 7-foot-3 power forward in a three-team matchup that included Boston and Brooklyn. For Porzingis, who suffered an illness that derailed his postseason run, the deal represented a fresh start with a young team trying to climb out of NBA playoff purgatory.

Kristaps Porzingis healthy heading into his first season with the Hawks

Porzingis is eager to get going after doctors diagnosed him with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a condition that causes a rapid heart rate and extreme fatigue. That limited him to 42 games last season and left him depleted during Boston’s playoff run. Now, with renewed energy, he is determined to remind the league of his influence.

“I didn’t have any accidents this summer,” Porzingis said after competing for Latvia at EuroBasket. “I had a tank of gas again. I’m excited to go into the season healthy.”

Atlanta envisions Porzingis as a perfect fit alongside him Trae Youngwhose playmaking and scoring have often carried the Hawks in recent years. His ability to stretch the defense with deep 3-point range could open up new dimensions in coaching Quinn Snyder‘s an insult.

Porzingis, who averaged nearly 20 points in nine NBA seasons, joins a revamped Hawks roster. Atlanta also has defensive standouts in Nikhil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels, along with rising stars Jaylen Johnson and Zachary Rizacher.

Snyder called for patience, but acknowledged the urgency of breaking free from mediocrity. In light of this, Porzingis shares that mindset.

“We are a young team that aspires to win a championship one day,” he said. “We’re not far. I just want to bring more energy and help this group take the next step.”

For the Hawks and for Porzingis, those three bird emojis took flight in Atlanta.