The Boston Celtics’ season ended unexpectedly on Friday when their division rival, the New York Knicks, defeated them in six games. It was a series that not many expected to pan out the way it did, especially with the massive injury to the best player in the series, Jayson Tatum.

It was a crushing blow to the Celtics’ season, who had hopes of going back-to-back. Instead, the page is now turning to the next season and beyond. The Celtics have a ton of questions they need to tackle head-on.

One major concern the team will need to tackle is managing its roster costs, particularly with certain high-priced contracts on the books. Tatum’s supermax extension, set to begin next season, is expected to significantly inflate their salary obligations.

With the combination of salaries and luxury tax penalties, the franchise could see its total payroll surpass the $500 million threshold.

The Celtics will have no other choice but to trim the fat, and a name that could be on the left is their star big man, Kristaps Porzingis.

Porzingis, 29, could find himself with a new team for the start of the 2025-26 season, and that team could be with the Celtics’ biggest rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report provided this massive trade proposal that sends the champion big man to the Lakers.

Celtics receive: Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber, a 2030 first-round pick swap and a 2032 first-round pick swap

Lakers receive: Kristaps Porzingis

“More to the point, the Los Angeles Lakers just need a real center. Porziņģis provides shot blocking, floor spacing and the occasional post-up. And he’d be a dramatic upgrade over Jaxson Hayes.

“For Boston, this one isn’t as much about financial flexibility. Porziņģis’ deal expires after 2025-26, but draft assets are valuable. And Rui Hachimura would give them a slightly younger forward than KP, who could theoretically fit alongside Tatum in positionless forward combinations (assuming the Celtics were to sign him beyond this season).”

Losing Porzingis is not an ideal move for the Celtics, but it may be deemed necessary, not only for contract purposes but also because of his questionable health.

Porzingis has only played 99 out of 164 games in two seasons in Boston. In the back half of the season and leading into the playoffs, he dealt with a mysterious illness that heavily affected his play.

While he is effective when on the court, keeping him around may not be worth the risk.

In return, the Celtics get two effective forwards and some draft capital as well.