Boston Celtics forward Kristaps Porziņģis experienced a brief moment of confusion regarding trade discussions after a fan mistakenly suggested he was being dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers. During a broadcast on Sunday featuring the Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, Porziņģis recounted an encounter while he was in Philadelphia, where a fan inquired about a purported blockbuster trade involving former teammate Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks, asking, 'What do you think of the trade to LA?' This led Porziņģis to believe he was being traded before clarifying that the conversation pertained to Dončić, not him.

Porziņģis shared his surprise and initial disbelief upon learning that Dončić had indeed been traded to the Lakers. 'He was like, 'Yo, you heard about the trade?' I was like, 'What happened? Did I get traded?' And he was like, 'No, Luka to the Lakers.' And I was like, 'Yo, no way.' Then I got my phone back and read all about it. Honestly, I can't believe it. I think this is the craziest trade in NBA history. Unbelievable,' he said, as reported by Jay King from The Athletic.

The significant three-team trade also involved the Utah Jazz, wherein Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris moved to the Lakers, while Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick were sent to the Mavericks in exchange. The Jazz received Jalen Hood-Schifino and two second-round picks as part of the transaction. Porziņģis expressed his thoughts on the gravity of the trade, stating, 'Man, this is like, Luka Dončić... That is wild. I mean, that is truly like, I still can't really believe it. Twenty-five years old. I don't know what happened behind the scenes. You never know. But I'm speechless, honestly.' The notion of the Celtics moving on from Porziņģis following their championship win in 2024 was hardly imaginable, just as it was difficult to foresee the Mavericks trading away Dončić before the recent developments.