Celtics
Niang is a local product who grew up as a Celtics fan in Methuen.
The most important return for the Celtics during Tuesday’s three-team trade centered on Kristaps Porzingis revolves around Boston shedding payroll and getting under the restrict second apron of the NBA’s luxury-tax structure.
But Boston also secured a pair of assets as part of the trade, landing forward Georges Niang and a second-round pick as part of the return for Porzinigis.
Even though Niang, 32, doesn’t present the same unique skillset that made Porzingis such a coveted asset in Boston, the local product could develop into a useful bench piece for the Celtics in 2025-26.
Here are four things to know about Niang:
He’s a productive bench piece
When healthy, Porzingis made the Celtics a matchup nightmare in just about every facet of the game due to his length (7-foot-2), post game, rim protection, and ability to sink 3-point shots.
Niang won’t be able to impact a game in the sheer variety of ways that Porzingis could do when he was locked in. But, the veteran could be a dependable piece for Joe Mazzulla off the bench in 2025-26.
Now set to enter his 10th season in the NBA, Niang spent the 2024-25 campaign with the Cavaliers before getting traded to the Hawks as part of the De’Andre Hunter trade.
Over 79 games (three starts) between the two teams last season, Niang averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists
With Jayson Tatum likely out for most (if not all) of the 2024-25 season, Niang and another trade pickup in Anfernee Simons will be tasked with generating offense and energy for what will be a reworked (and shorthanded) Boston roster next season.
Niang’s play style should fit in well with Boston
Much like Simons, it should come as little surprise why a team like the Celtics would welcome a player like Niang to their roster.
The 6-foot-7 forward has built a reputation as an effective 3-point shooter over the course of his career, posting a career 39.9 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
This past season, Niang converted on 40.6 percent of his shots from 3-point range.
With Tatum on the mend, a Celtics team starved for offense without their best player on the court could look to make up at least some of the production in the aggregate by adding a pair of sharpshooters to Mazzulla’s squad in Niang and Simons.
Niang hails from Massachusetts
Niang already has plenty of ties to Boston, considering that he was born in Lawrence and grew up in Methuen as a Celtics fan.
Before making the jump to the college game at Iowa State, Niang was a force across the New England circuit, staring at the Tilton School while also playing for Boston AAU powerhouse BABC.
As part of a Tilton School basketball program that has featured other NBA players like Nerlens Noel and Terance Mann, Niang stands as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,372 points.
During his senior year at Tilton, Niang averaged 25.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, earning 2012 NEPSAC Class AA Player of the Year honors.
He had an interesting encounter with Jaylen Brown during the 2023 playoffs
Niang drew the ire of now-Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown while the two faced off during the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals between Boston and Philadelphia.
During Boston’s Game 7 win over Philly, Brown was tripped up after Niang – sitting on the Sixers’ bench — reached out from his seat and appeared to grab Brown’s leg to slow him down at the start of a fast-break sequence.
Brown turned and yelled at the Sixers’ bench after the play, with both Brown and Niang eventually assessed technicals after the sequence was reviewed.
“I think he just thought, like, ‘Maybe let me just try to grab him to slow him down a little bit,’” Brown said of Niang postgame. “I don’t think Niang’s a bad guy or anything. I work out with him in the offseason. I just think he just got caught up in the intensity of the game and made a play and I responded to it.
“I don’t know which way I should have responded to it. But if I didn’t do anything it probably would have played on. … I don’t think Niang was thinking when he did it. I don’t think he’s a bad guy, just caught up in the emotion of the game.”
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