Boston Celtics' Niang trade saved almost $40 million

Georges Niang’s Boston Celtics career is over before it even got started. The veteran forward was traded to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, August 5. Boston also gave up two future second-round picks in the deal, with two-way wing RJ Luis Jr. heading to the Celtics as part of the deal. Niang joined the Celtics as part of the three-team trade that shipped Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks earlier this summer.

Niang, 32, was projected to be the Celtics’ starting power forward next season. However, his $8.8 million salary was too high, especially when factoring in the luxury tax penalties associated with his spot on Boston’s roster. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, when the Celtics sent Niang to the Jazz, their luxury tax bill dropped from $73.1 million to $30.4 million.

Shortly after the Celtics shipped out Niang, NBC Sports Boston posted a video to their YouTube channel when they broke down the deal, why Niang was chosen to be the makeweight, and what it means for Brad Stevens retooling efforts both now and leading up to the February 2026 trade deadline.

You can watch the full discussion by clicking on the embedded video above.

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics’ Niang trade saved almost $40 million