Why Jaden Springer trade is helpful gamble for Celtics future
Boston Celtics’ Payton Pritchard, left, drives against Philadelphia 76ers’ Jaden Springer during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023,
On Thursday, the Celtics struck an unexpected trade with a rival team, obtaining Jaden Springer for the 76ers in return for a 2024 second-round selection. The team’s Grant Williams traded player exception, which was supposed to expire today, will accommodate Springer’s $2.2 million salary. Boston was able to add Springer to their roster because to the TPE without having to trade a player for salary matching. In a follow-up deal on Thursday, Boston also sent Dalano Banton to the Blazers to clear a roster spot and avoid paying luxury tax fines.
The Celtics currently gain almost little from the Springer trade. Despite the 76ers’ extensive injury list, 6-foot-4 defensive-minded player Springer has been playing a significant amount of minutes. He isn’t a threat to oust anyone in Boston’s current rotation, though, because of his unreliable jump shot (21 percent from three).
Still, as a 21-year-old, the former first-round selection offers a ton of long-term potential. With his exceptional quickness and forceful defense in his limited playing time this season—averaging 2.4 steals per 36 minutes—Springer stands out among the other players on Boston’s roster. He’s a work in progress with promise, but more significantly, he’s inexpensive in the long run. In the last year of his rookie contract, Springer will only make $4 million in the upcoming season.
As a high-spending tax club entering the heavy team-building penalties under the new CBA, that’s a valuable weapon for the Celtics this offseason. The Celtics won’t be able to aggregate contracts, withdraw more compensation than they are sending out in a trade, or send out cash in any kind of transaction. Starting in June, the Celtics will have very little options when it comes to adding talent through free agency or trades if they are not able to employ the mid-level exception, which is also unavailable to teams like Boston.
Purchasing Springer now will assist in the future with those constraints. The Celtics need more inexpensive guys on the roster to cover both of those roles, regardless of whether he ends up being a valuable development player for Boston or a future trade asset.
In return for the third-year guard, the 76ers received a respectable asset in a second-round choice that was probably going to go in the 40s. They would have wanted to have a less expensive alternative on the books rather than pay Springer $4 million, but they are looking to increase their cap room this offseason.
With Springer and Xavier Tillman, the Celtics appear to have achieved their goal of adding some defensive depth before this deadline while also improving roster flexibility for future
