Celtics player who must be traded soon

12/18/2024 09:02 AM

Fresh from capturing championship banner no. 18, the Boston Celtics are looking like the team to beat in the 2024-2025 season once again. The defending champions are currently second in the Eastern Conference, posting a solid 20-5 win-loss record. With the Celtics basically running back their roster, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the team isn’t missing a beat.

But while the Celtics are currently rolling, that doesn’t mean that their roster possesses no weaknesses. The reigning NBA champions certainly have plenty of weapons in their fold. However, with a young player like Jaden Springer becoming underutilized, the Celtics could instead turn to a more reliable veteran who should further punctuate the depth of the team.

Springer was last season’s trade deadline acquisition, with the Celtics surrendering a 2024 second round draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers. Since then, he sparingly played in the playoffs, helping the team win the championship. Fast forward to today, he has been buried in the Celtics bench. As a result, this makes Springer as the Celtics player who must be traded soon.

Out of the Celtics rotation

There’s no question that the Celtics have a deep backcourt. The team already leans on the formidable backcourt duo of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. Furthermore, the team is witnessing the breakout season of Payton Pritchard. With a roster that already includes White, Holiday, and early Sixth Man of the Year candidate Pritchard, it’s easy to see why Springer has failed to crack Mazzulla’s rotation on a consistent basis.

Springer has only played in seven of the team’s 25 games so far. He is also only seeing action for less than three and a half minutes per game. With Springer basically glued to the bench, in favor of the Celtics’ proven backcourt, it might be better off for the 28th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft to play for another team.

Another reason for Springer falling out of Mazzulla’s rotation is simply failing to live up to expectations. While he has showed positive signs on the defensive end, the former Tennessee standout has yet to blossom since his acquisition at last season’s trade deadline. This year, he is only putting up 0.9 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per outing on 28.6% shooting from the field overall.

Jaden Springers’ expiring contract

Another good reason that the Celtics should trade away Springer is his expiring deal. With the Celtics trading for Springer at last year’s trade deadline, the team took on his four-year rookie contract worth $10.39 million, according to Spotrac. In the final year of his deal, Springer is expected to rake in around $4 million for the 2024-2025 season.

While the Celtics don’t exactly have much wiggle room to upgrade their roster, outside of their untouchable championship core and taking into mind Pritchard’s breakout season, a young player like Springer easily becomes their top trade asset.  Springer’s youth, potential, and championship experience should make him valuable to rebuilding teams. Just look at how Dyson Daniels has fared with the Atlanta Hawks this year. But more importantly, it won’t be expensive for other teams to acquire his services.

With an expiring contract and basically keeping him on the bench, the Celtics should make the most out of Springer’s value while they still can. Although the team already has a proven roster, making some minor upgrades should boost their chances to successfully defend their title. In fact, potentially acquiring a championship piece for a non-rotational player should be a win for the team if they can find a trade partner.

Celtics in win-now situation

Speaking of roster upgrades, as mentioned previously, the Celtics are in a great position to go back-to-back. As a result, they don’t exactly have the patience and resources to develop a young player like Springer. In other words, a young player like Springer simply doesn’t align with the Celtics’ present timeline.

By utilizing Springer’s upside and expiring deal, the Celtics can opt to swap the NBA champion for a reliable NBA veteran who can make a bigger impact. The Celtics are already formidable from top to bottom with their roster, but adding another proven role player should further extend the gap against the rest of the league.

It’s safe to say that the Celtics are currently the golden standard. However, with the league’s unpredictable nature, the Celtics should take some chances before the deadline to improve the supporting cast surrounding their proven championship five. While the Celtics are playing well right now, they’re also holding a huge target behind their backs that gets bigger as the playoffs come closer.

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