3 Celtics Leaving Boston in the New Year
By Ryan Markham
2. Jaden Springer
In a previous article written by Cem Yolbulan, he highlighted how the Celtics are trying to use Jaden Springer in hopes to boost his trade value come deadline time, which is set for February 6th. Springer is a 6'4" wing who brings defensive versatility and an ability to finish in transition. Just 22 years old, Springer is a potential trade candidate for a selling or rebuilding team come deadline time.
The reason there isn't much of a chance that Springer will be kept past this season is because there is simply not much room for him on the roster. Looking at the Celtics depth chart, Springer is behind guys like Jordan Walsh, who the Celtics are very high on. Contractually speaking, the Celtics have Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh, Payton Pritchard and Baylor Schiermann locked down on multi-year deals. There isn't much of a pathway for Springer to make the Celtics rotation and play meaningful minutes unless injuries strike the Cs wing players like Hauser or even Walsh. He has seen more action in recent games as Sam Hauser has been dealing with lower back pain, but has only averaged 4.3 minutes per game this season.
"I still love what he can do defensively, but at one point the offense has to come around ... I don't want to write him off."@RealBobManning & @NoaDalzell discuss what they saw from Jaden Springer in the #Celtics loss to Chicago: https://t.co/8WW1dhQyJW
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) December 20, 2024
⚡️by @PrizePicks &… pic.twitter.com/q6YoGWJaLw
Springer is on the Celtics payroll for $4 million this season and will be a free agent in June. The Celtics could look to move his contract to fill a bigger need, like a veteran big man. He should garner some attention from teams looking to get younger, or teams in need of a defensive guard as the trade deadline gets closer. One thing we know about Brad Stevens is that he's not afraid to fill a need, whether it's a starter or a bench piece. Springer is a talented defensive player who can get under opponents skin, but his offensive game is a work in progress. The Celtics have built a perimeter centric team and shoot the most threes per game in the league, as Springer's inability to shoot the 3 could lead to his departure during the New Year.
Springer has appeared in 10 games this season, averaging 1 point, 1.2 rebounds and 0.3 assists. He is a career 21.4% 3pt shooter.