DONE DEAL: Celtics acquire Jaden Springer and Xavier Tillman at NBA trade deadline

The Boston Celtics have a habit of taking the clock literally. They did not even speak with the Houston Rockets until well after 2:00 p.m. ET in 2022, when they welcomed Daniel Theis back. This year, one of the final transactions completed before the 3 p.m. deadline was their acquisition of Philadelphia 76ers wing Jaden Springer.

The Celtics reportedly sent the Sixers a 2024 second-round pick, the more favourable of Chicago or New Orleans, which is probably going to be Chicago, after spending two second-round picks on Wednesday to acquire big man Xavier Tillman.

What does Springer bring to the table given that Brad Stevens’ reasoning for moving on Tillman was covered by Jay King and Jared Weiss of The Athletic on Thursday morning?

Jay King: agility, vigour, and defence. This season, he is averaging 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per 36 minutes, which is less than what he did the previous year. He is a really good guard.

That does not imply that he will play frequently. It seems likely that he will not be included in the Celtics rotation. Why? There are some obvious offensive problems with Springer. His career 3-point shooting % is dismal, even in the G League. He has made 10 of 42 3-point tries (23.8%) in his brief NBA appearances. If his downtown accuracy stays so bad, it will be difficult for him to establish much of a role.

Nonetheless, it appears that the Celtics front team has made yet another wise choice. If Springer ever improves his offensive game to the point that he can stay on the court, he has the makings of a defensive stopper. Three years younger than Dalano Banton, at 21, he has a team option for the upcoming campaign. This was most likely a depth move to advance the end of the bench and add another young player with potential rather than a boost to Boston’s rotation.

Jared Weiss: Having the ability to perform a task that the Celtics would require in the postseason makes him superior to Banton. This week, Springer made two appearances, mostly serving as Luka Dončić and Stephen Curry’s cover man. The most important element absent from Boston’s profound reserve was that. someone they could throw in the game to ensure an opposing star doesn’t lead a 12-2 run. You could see him annoying Curry and Dončić on every possession, pressing them full-court and sticking to them on or off the ball to ensure they didn’t get comfortable.

Although Sam Hauser has played well defensively overall, he is more of a passive player who can maintain balance on the attack, whereas Springer is a pressure defender with a lot of energy. In addition, Springer enjoys running in both directions during transitions, which will help them score some points from cuts and offensive rebounds. When facing a lineup that has demonstrated low defensive energy, Joe Mazzulla might wish to insert that kind of player into the middle of a playoff series.

King: All things considered, the Celtics had a successful week. Their goal was to increase their depth without jeopardising the team dynamic that has allowed them to play at a 63-win clip thus far. As anticipated, they kept onto every player in the rotation, but they were still able to add Tillman, who will add depth to their frontcourt, and Springer, who, should he ever master the art of dishing the ball into the hoop, has the potential to develop into a useful player.

Weiss: There are still some opportunities available in the Celtics buyout market. Every year, teams must choose whether to pursue seasoned support or cut bait on some of the younger players on the squad. Apparently, neither Banton nor Svi Mykhailiuk are going to be long-term prospects for Boston.

The Celtics are unable to sign any players on the buyout market who made more than $12.4 million this year due to their apron status. That eliminates the possibility of seasoned shooters like Joe Harris, Devis Bertáns, and Kyle Lowry becoming available.

The most notable buyout name to surface on Thursday is Spencer Dinwiddie, a starting-caliber bargain that the Celtics and other contenders would have previously been fighting for. However, his $18 million salary makes it impossible for the Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, Suns, LA Clippers, and Golden State Warriors to sign him due to the new apron rules.

While the Play-In Tournament has given most clubs optimism for a postseason run, you used to see quality veterans who wanted a chance to compete obtain buyouts. However, it doesn’t appear to happen nearly as frequently these days.

Who do you think the Celtics should realistically target?

King: The Celtics never added a bigger wing, even if Springer will deepen their perimeter, which may indicate they are satisfied with Oshae Brissett’s recent output. Earlier this week, Joe Mazzulla gave Brissett a lot of praise. Mazzulla used Brissett as an example after talking about how crucial it is for role players and stars to get along.

“He’s the one in particular where it’s like he’s done a great job of earning the players’ trust, of earning the coaches’ trust, and just making winning plays,” Mazzulla said. “It started in the first game, we put him in against Miami and he changed the dynamic of the game. So he’s grown over the last week and a half in the recognition of offense, of matchup recognition, how to impact our offense.

The challenging aspect of him, though, is that he constantly uses different lineups. Occasionally, he collaborates with Kornet’s brother Luke, occasionally with Horford’s brother Al, and occasionally with Kristaps PorziņĒis. However, he has excelled in offensive rebounding. He’s performed exceptional awareness quite well. He has performed admirably in carrying out our defensive coverages, and his presence always gives us a lift.

With one available roster spot, the Celtics may still be active in the buyout market. Delon Wright, Otto Porter Jr., and Danny House Jr. are potential fits, but I doubt any of them would have much of a chance to break into the Celtics starting lineup. Boston may also decide to convert Neemias using the last roster space.

Weiss: You have to assume that if they are unsuccessful in bringing in a veteran, Queta will only be promoted. It should not be too difficult to find a ring-seeker who is also prepared to be a helpful back-bench captain, given their strong position for an NBA Finals run.

What more can they do, though? Fans will bring up shooting every year. To begin with, proficient shooters are rarely bought out. Above all, the Celtics do not require shooters. Their three highest scorers are the only rotation players who are shooting below average from distance.Sam Hauser, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Al Horford are all over 40 percent. The Celtics are doing alright.

Their only remaining options are a bigger scorer, a long defensive wing like you said, a potent defensive 7-footer, or a point guard who can produce in the paint. Since Mykhailiuk hasn’t shown he can be a reliable scorer at the end of the bench, they might still waive him to make room on the roster. Wright is the only individual on the market who is a true 3-and-D guy and hasn’t physically faltered like the majority of the other well-known individuals.Queta could be more capable than Robin Lopez at this time, but he could at least provide them with someone who can stand beneath the rim. Given that House has been having bad ratings for a while, it’s difficult to identify

Looking around the Eastern Conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo might be the only big wing they need a defender for. Especially now that two other teams are passing Milwaukee in the standings.

King:I’m not sure if the Celtics should hear footsteps approaching from behind just yet, but the Knicks have been assembling a team that can stomp all over opponents ever before they acquired OG Anunoby. Despite his absence from the court for the last five games, the Knicks have won four of those games, for a total of 10 victories in their previous 11 games. Following surgery on his right elbow, Anunoby is anticipated to miss a few weeks, but he should recover in time for the playoffs. After trading for Immanuel Quickley in the Anunoby trade, they had limited bench scoring. However, on Thursday, they acquired Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanović to solve that problem.

The Knicks were already very good. They got better at the deadline. They have surrounded Jalen Brunson, one of the league’s best guards, with all sorts of muscle. Coach Tom Thibodeau has a tough, stubborn team that won’t be fun for anyone to play in the postseason.

How do you view the other Eastern Conference contenders after Thursday’s deals?

Weiss: The Knicks could potentially be the Celtics’ greatest threat in the postseason. Although I doubt Brunson can lead their offence against Derrick White and Jrue Holiday throughout a series, their team has a solid identity and a roster that is well-suited for postseason play and officiating. If the Knicks start to have a real run at it, I can’t wait to see how irrational their supporters will become. I was just thinking about how loud MSG was when the Knicks defeated the Celtics in the regular season and they began to yell “F— Trae Young.” What the postseason will be like is beyond my imagination.

The Bucks can get onto that tier and the Patrick Beverley addition finally gives them someone who at least can defend with confidence. We’ll see how Doc Rivers tweaks their defensive coverages now that they have someone who can chase ballhandlers and impact them, but Beverley at least can bring the mentality and energy they need. Sometimes getting a defensive weak link like Malik Beasley out of the lineup makes a huge difference, especially with someone who is all about making noise on that end. And the Bucks haven’t been bad in the pick-and-roll, but they’ve been terrible this year defending in isolation. That’s where someone like Beverley can help change the culture. Seeing how well Beasley has shot when so many of his looks are wide-open, the Bucks can be optimistic their spacing will bring Beverley’s shot back as well.

King: Am I the only one who found it strange that the 76ers made transactions with two other Eastern Conference competitors? They weren’t the most significant trades of the day, but nevertheless.

In addition, Buddy Hield ought to contribute significantly to Philadelphia’s attack. Joel Embiid’s team will be more difficult to stop if he can fully recover from his knee injury. Although Hield might open things up for the 76ers, I’m still not sure if they have enough creators on their roster.

Over the past month or so, the Knicks and Cavaliers have both made compelling cases to be regarded as contenders, making the East more intriguing. Cleveland has won 15 of its previous 16 games and has been outstanding despite doing nothing before the deadline.

Another recurring theme from Thursday was the trade of numerous former Celtics, including Grant Williams and Gordon Hayward.

Weiss: Gordon Hayward was at last getting back on track when he left Boston four years ago. Since an ankle break ended his career with the Boston Celtics before it even began, this was the best he had looked in a long time. And he was shooting lights out and looking amazing when he arrived in Charlotte. But despite starting for a steadily deteriorating Hornets squad, injuries derailed him every season in Charlotte, and he gradually slipped into oblivion.

However, they played a more methodical and efficient style of basketball when Hayward took over as the offensive coordinator while Melo Ball was sidelined. Now that Hayward is back in a winning programme, he may be able to start or, if Josh Giddey is benched, at least close games. Despite their stellar season, the Thunder’s roster lacked much postseason experience prior to Thursday. Are they truly able to make it to the finals with Hayward?

King: The Thunder’s statistical profile indicates that they should have already advanced to the championships, but naturally, their inexperienced and youthful team needs to perform well in the postseason. I’m not sure they’ll be able to match certain large men’s physicality, particularly the one in Denver. But Oklahoma City should have a better shot now that Hayward has been acquired.

The Thunder needed Giddey insurance in case his combination of iffy shooting and wobbly defense turned him into a playoff problem. Hayward will provide that. He’ll give them a bit more size, too, while allowing them to keep trotting out lineups that have five guys who can make plays from all over the court. Hayward’s unselfish game will make him an easy fit. And Oklahoma City picked him up without touching their stash of future first-round picks.

Were you surprised by how Williams’ quick stint in Dallas unfolded?

Weiss: In my opinion, it ended more quickly than his trade exception. However, this season has been similar to the last several in that he started out hot while playing excellent defence before becoming derailed by injuries and losing his rhythm. By adding P.J. Washington, Dallas sought to switch from defence to offence, and to be honest, Williams is in a terrific situation here. Despite his unsatisfactory shooting, the native Charlotte resident leads the Hornets defense—which is the worst in the NBA—defensively well.

Dallas’s addition of Daniel Gafford could improve them slightly this season. But the other significant move in the west that we haven’t yet discussed is the Suns adding Royce O’Neal to strengthen their defensive depth. The power dynamics on that side of the league haven’t changed, but it’s now even more unclear who will make it to the championship. Unless the Knicks continue to dominate or Joel Embiid returns in April with a cyborg knee, the Celtics are fortunate to be leading the East. Nothing can be ruled out.