Trade Deadline

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Taylor Snow

BOSTON –&nbsp;For the best team in the NBA, there wasn’t much significant change that needed to be made ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. However, the Boston Celtics made a couple of tweaks to their roster with a pair of acquisitions that should help bolster the team defensively.

On Wednesday, the C’s added to their frontcourt depth by acquiring 6-foot-7 center/power forward Xavier Tillman from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Lamar Stevens and two future second-round draft picks.

Then on Thursday, just ahead of the deadline, Boston landed 6-foot-4 wing Jaden Springer from the Philadelphia 76ers in a three-way trade with Portland. In the deal, the C’s shipped Dalano Banton and cash considerations to the Trail Blazers in exchange for a heavily-protected future second-rounder, and sent their 2024 second-rounder to Philly in exchange for Springer.

Now, let’s dive into the acquisitions, starting with the first deal.

Tillman is a fourth-year big out of Michigan State who brings toughness, a high basketball IQ, skilled passing, and a versatile defensive presence. He made 34 appearances, including 13 starts, for Memphis this season and averaged 6.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 20.6 minutes per game.

“He has really good numbers against some of the top centers in the league,” Joe Mazzulla pointed out Wednesday night. “And his pick-and-roll defense and rim protection is pretty good, so I think just giving us versatility at that position.”

Tillman has shown that he can impact the game in many different ways, as he’s put up big numbers in several statistical categories this season.

He also brings solid playoff experience, playing in 23 postseason games over the last three years. In fact, the best performance of his career came against the Lakers last postseason when he tallied 22 points (10-13 FG), 13 rebounds, three assists, and zero turnovers in a 103-93 Grizzlies win in Round 1, Game 2.

Having some extra frontcourt depth is always a plus, especially when guys like Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis could use some rest down the final stretch of the regular season.

“It’s definitely a benefit,” Al Horford affirmed. “We’re looking forward to having him here. He’s a guy that has played on good teams and understands how to play, and I look forward to playing with him and seeing how he can help us down the stretch.”

Springer is a guy who should be able to help the Celtics down the stretch, as well. He lives up to his last name as a springy dunker and shot-blocker, who excels on the defensive end.

Celtics fans should be familiar with his game, as he had a handful of impressive dunks and a jaw-dropping block against Jayson Tatum in the fall.

The 21-year-old former first-round pick played in 32 games for Philly this season, averaging 4.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 11.8 minutes per game. Though, he had been more effective of late.

In his last five games, he averaged 8.0 points. 4.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.2 steals.

On the night before being traded, Springer was tasked with being Stephen Curry’s primary defender in a matchup with the Warriors. During the 34.2 possessions that he defended the all-time 3-point leader, Springer allowed Curry to score just five points while making only one field goal.

The third-year University of Tennessee product has stepped up in big moments in the past, such as in last year’s G League championship when he guided the Delaware Blue Coats to a title while winning Finals MVP.

Together, Springer and Tillman should give Boston extra defensive depth at the wing and big positions, which should be of great benefit down the stretch. Plus, the Celtics still have one extra roster spot that they can fill either by signing a player via the buyout market or by converting one of their two-way players to a standard contract.

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Tillman, Springer Bolster Boston's Defensive Depth

Boston Celtics

BOSTON – In a sequence of transactions with the Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics today traded guard Dalano Banton, a 2024 second-round draft pick, and cash considerations in exchange for guard Jaden Springer and a future protected second-round pick.

Springer (6-4, 204) has appeared in 50 career NBA games since being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The 6-4 guard owns career averages of 3.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per game while shooting 41.6 percent from the field, and has seen action in nine playoff games, tallying 15 points in 30 minutes. The Charlotte, North Carolina native is averaging career-highs across the board with 4.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 32 games this season.

Over two seasons with the 76ers G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, Springer averaged 17.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.0 steals in 43 games from 2021-2023. Springer was named the NBA G League Finals MVP in 2023 after helping Delaware capture its first-ever G League Championship.

The 2021 SEC All-Freshman Team honoree led Tennessee in scoring with 12.5 points per game in his lone collegiate season, and averaged 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals in 25 games (15 starts). Springer led the Volunteers in three-point percentage (20-46, .435) and total free throws made (81), while his 81.0 free-throw percentage ranked ninth among SEC players, and stands as the highest percentage by a freshman in program history (min. 100 attempts).

Banton appeared in 24 games for the Celtics this season and averaged 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per game since being acquired by Boston on July 3, 2023.

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Boston Celtics Acquire Springer

Marc D'Amico

Let’s be real: The only thing anyone cares about this week is the NBA trade deadline.

Will the Celtics make a deal to strengthen their roster? Will anyone else make a deal to shake up the East?

How about buyouts? Will teams wind up buying out players who they weren’t able to trade? If so, who, and could they wind up in Boston?

These are the questions that everyone’s thinking about this week, so we tried to dive in on as many of them as possible. That comes with some constraints – this is a team podcast after all – but we were able to lay out the assets the Celtics have, what they might be looking for, and how Brad Stevens might approach this deadline.

A key point of the discussion was that Stevens hasn’t been shy when it comes to dealing away draft picks. That’s actually kinda been his thing since taking over as President of Basketball Operations. Think about it: He’s already used draft picks to acquire Al Horford, Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Jrue Holiday. That’s half of Boston’s top six this year and the Sixth Man of the Year last year. The bottom line is he’s not afraid to use picks if he thinks the return is going to move the Celtics closer to a title.

The crazy thing is that despite all of the moves outlined above, the Celtics still have a ton of first-round draft assets. They have access to all of their firsts through 2030, with the exception of 2028 and 2029. So they’ve got some assets they can dangle.

Now when it comes to second-rounders? The Celtics are absolutely loaded there thanks to what Stevens did at the 2023 Draft, when he continued trading back while acquiring extra picks. He did that because he was still able to get Jordan Walsh, and because those second-rounders are very important nowadays. The Celtics now have access to 10 first-rounders through 2030 (note: one of them is unlikely to become theirs, so it’s really nine). We wound up running a quote from Stevens from his VFTR appearance the morning after the Draft:

“I mean, we’ve seen the value of second-round picks, specifically at the trade deadline, of being used in trades,” he said. “And they’re more valuable than ever … You can use those to move the needle, and that’s all that we want to be able to do.”

So Stevens specifically acquired a bunch of second-round picks to move the needed at the trade deadline. He’s open about that, so a trade very well could happen.

Sean Grande speculated as to exactly how Stevens might use those picks. It might not necessarily be in a one-for-one trade, Grande suggested. Instead, it could be with Celtics getting in on other teams’ action. In other words, if other teams agree to a two-team deal, the Celtics could jump in and expand it to acquire players they like from those teams in exchange for draft picks. We’ll see what happens, but it was a legitimate suggestion from Grande.

For me, no matter what happens, I will live and die by one statement: trust in Brad Stevens.

“Number one, the Derrick White trade. That to me was the beginning of me saying, okay, Brad really knows what he's doing. Like, trust in Brad,” I said. “Like he knows how to acquire players that are not only going to play better than a lot of people think they are, but also are going to complement the team's best players.”

We also touched on the trade exceptions the team has to possibly use to fill its one empty roster spot. Boston has a $6.2 million exception from the Grant Williams sign-and-trade, as well as a $1.8 million exception for the Justin Jackson trade last year.

So that’s the lowdown on the trade opportunities the Celtics have. But we also got into some fun storytelling throughout the episode. Like when Grande was with Kendrick Perkins in the lobby of the hotel just minutes before Perk was traded to the Thunder in 2011. Or Abby recently taking her first ride with the Bus 1 Boys. Or Shaq asking Grande a very important question on the plane back in 2011.

That’s the surface level of the episode. Dive in and give it a listen or a watch!

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VFTR Pod Blog: Trade Deadline Primer

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Brad Stevens’ first trade deadline rolled around Thursday afternoon, and he didn’t hold back. The Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations agreed to terms on three trades ahead of the 3 p.m. deadline, which included seven players going out, two players coming in, as well as some swapping of future draft picks.

Boston acquired a skilled playmaker in Derrick White and reacquired a hard-working, floor-spacing, versatile big in Daniel Theis. Both additions bring tenacity and versatility on the defensive end, which should make this year's top-ranked defense even more fearsome.

Boston’s front office got warmed up with a small deal in the early afternoon, trading Bol Bol, PJ Dozier, cash considerations, and a conditional future second-round draft pick to Orlando in exchange for another conditional future second-rounder.

Neither Bol nor Dozier – who are both recovering from major surgeries – had a chance to play a game for Boston after being acquired together in a trade on Jan. 19. However, in trading them, it helped the Celtics financially by delaying the start of a potential repeater tax scenario in future years as the team builds around Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

Later in the evening, the Celtics finalized their second trade of the day, reacquiring Theis from the Houston Rockets in exchange for Bruno Fernando, Enes Freedom, and Dennis Schroder.

Theis spent his first three-plus seasons in Boston before being traded to the Chicago Bulls ahead of last year’s trade deadline. Through 26 games (21 starts) this season, he has averaged 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Finally came the big splash of the day, as the C’s traded Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, and a protected 2022 first-round pick to San Antonio in exchange for White. As part of the deal, the Spurs also have a conditional right to swap first-round picks with Boston in 2028.

Up until Thursday, White had spent his entire five-year career with the Spurs and is in the midst of arguably his best season. Through 49 games (48 starts), the 27-year-old has averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. He’s also blocked the second-most shots among all NBA guards this season with 42 swats.

There’s also an extra silver lining in acquiring the veteran combo guard, being that he is already familiar with many faces on the Celtics roster.

White’s first two NBA seasons overlapped with Celtics head coach Ime Udoka’s last two seasons on Gregg Popovich’s staff, and he spent four seasons with C’s assistant coach Will Hardy. Udoka also coached White with Team USA during the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum were all members of that national team as well, so White already has on-court experience with the bulk of Boston’s core.

From his time with White, Tatum observed and recalled Friday morning, "He's a really high-IQ basketball player, very gifted offensively, a great defender, and just somebody you love to have on your team.”

On top of those connections, Stevens had been eyeing White for several years, viewing him as a player who could help maximize the Jays’ talent.

“We've thought for years that Derrick was a really good fit with our best players,” Stevens said Friday morning during a conference call with the media. “He is an excellent defender. He just makes the right play, on offense, over and over and over. He's a guy that only cares about winning, that will do all of the little things, as you can see in some of his stats, defensively, with regard to willingness to put his body on the line, activity, shot challenges, all of those things. And, on offense, just by making simple plays and doesn't need to do anything to be on the highlights, to really, really impact winning.”

As Celtics fans already know, Theis is another player who impacts winning. The 6-foot-8 German center was often lauded for his team-first approach throughout his previous tenure in Boston, during which he averaged 7.2 PPG and 4.9 RPG while shooting 55.4 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from 3-point range.

Stevens initially didn’t expect to make a move for Theis but was thrilled to have a deal materialize during the final 20 minutes ahead of the deadline.

Adding Theis gives the Celtics some frontcourt insurance should either Al Horford or Rob Williams miss any time, and he will be a solid backup otherwise.

“Rob and Al are our guys and they're playing great but if you miss any time with those two guys, you can plug Theis in and it'll be a seamless transition,” said Stevens. “Theis knows how to make our best players better, that's the best thing he does is he has a great feel for making others around him better, he's got a savvy for the game.”

Although the deadline has passed, the Celtics are not even close to being done making moves. Due to the lopsided nature of their trades with regard to outgoing players versus incoming players, they still have several roster spots to fill. Stevens said the team will look to add multiple “skilled” players in the coming days to round out the roster, including at least a couple of moves he anticipates making before Friday night’s tip-off against the Denver Nuggets.

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Boston Bolsters Defense Even More with Theis, White Additions

The Boston Celtics went into Thursday’s trade deadline looking to add another versatile wing scorer to their roster, and they got their man in Evan Fournier.

Boston traded point guard Jeff Teague and two future second-round draft picks to the Orlando Magic in exchange for the nine-year veteran, who is averaging career-highs of 19.7 points and 3.7 assists per game in 26 appearances this season.

But Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge wasn’t done there; he also dealt Daniel Theis and Javonte Green to the Chicago Bulls as part of a three-team trade with the Washington Wizards. In return, the Celtics landed an energetic and tough-minded center in Moritz “Moe” Wagner from Washington, along with 7-foot-2 big man Luke Kornet from the Bulls.

Acquiring Fournier is one of the biggest moves that the Celtics have ever made at the deadline, and one that could possibly inject new life into a team that’s looking to climb out of a 21-23 hole and back into a high seed in the East.

“I think his experience will help,” Ainge said of Fournier Friday morning. “His skills, his versatility – a 6-foot-7 guy who can handle the ball, he could play some 1, he could play some 2, he could play some 3, he can play in lineups that switch 1-4 or 1-5. I think he brings a lot of versatility and he's an added offensive weapon for Brad (Stevens) to use, and it alleviates some of the pressure on Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum) and Kemba (Walker) to have to create so much.”

As Ainge indicated, the French wing brings a well-rounded scoring skill set, highlighted by his ability to shoot the long ball. This season, he is averaging 2.8 3-point makes per game at a 38.8 percent clip, which, from a volume standpoint places him second on the Celtics behind Kemba Walker (2.9 made 3-pointers per game).

But Fournier is more than just a sharpshooter; he is a pure bucket-getter who can also score from the mid-range and at the rim. His ability to drive the ball should benefit the Celtics greatly, as it gives them a player who can drive-and-dish, finish at the cup, and also draw contact and get to the free-throw line. This season, he has seen a significant spike in free-throw attempts, as he is making 4.7 trips to the charity line per game. That’s more than any other player on the Celtics is averaging.

On top of his scoring ability, Fournier has also proven himself to be a strong playmaker. Over the years, he has served as a backup point guard for the Magic when needed, and his ability to handle the ball should help him fit in nicely alongside two other playmaking wings in Brown and Tatum.

Not only is Fournier playing the best basketball of his career this season, but he is also coming to Boston in the midst of one of his hottest stretches. In his last six games, he has averaged 24.7 points per game, while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 46.4 percent from 3-point range on 9.3 such attempts. He scored 31 points twice during that stretch and reached 21 points in all but one of those games, which happened to be a 16-point effort against Boston Sunday afternoon.

And Fournier certainly went out of Orlando with a bang. On Wednesday night, less than 24 hours before the trade, he knocked down a beautiful game-winning layup against the Phoenix Suns. So in other words, this is another guy who the Celtics can count on to score or play-make in crunch-time situations.

Speaking of winners, the Celtics also picked up a hard-working backup big man in Moe Wagner, while saying a difficult goodbye to Daniel Theis. Like Theis, Wagner is originally from Germany, although he took the college route to the NBA via the University of Michigan.

Wagner, in his third NBA season, is averaging 7.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, while playing 15.0 minutes per contest. On a per-36 minute basis, those numbers average out to 17.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.

In the middle of February, the 6-foot-11, 245-pound center was elevated into Washington’s starting lineup. His best outing of the season came against the LA Clippers on Feb. 23 when he stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Following that game, Wizards coach Scott Brooks told the Washington Post that Wagner “just makes winning plays, and he’s just good to be around. His teammates love him, and he just always wants to do right by his teammates.”

Wizards star Bradley Beal would later attest to that comment, noting how the 23-year-old “has been giving us nothing but life on both ends. We feed off of that. We need it. Moe loves what he does; I always call him an irritant. He’s out there to just be a pest, to get up under your skin, talk his trash, all while playing at a high level. I love everything Moe brings. His spirit is what uplifts us.”

Boston bolstered its big man spot even more with the addition of Luke Kornet, who was also acquired in the Theis deal. The Vanderbilt product brings four years of NBA experience to the C’s, having played his first two seasons in New York and his last two in Chicago. His best season came in 2018-19 when he averaged 7.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game in 46 appearances (18 starts) for the Knicks.

At 7-foot-2, 250 pounds, Kornet provides a solid rim-protection presence, and it must be noted, is also the only player on the team who won’t look small standing next to 7-foot-5 fan-favorite Tacko Fall.

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What Fournier, Wagner, Kornet Bring to the Table for Celtics

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BOSTON, MA – The Boston Celtics have acquired guard Evan Fournier from the Orlando Magic in exchange for guard Jeff Teague and two future second round draft picks, the team announced today.

“Evan has established himself as a highly-efficient scorer, whose combination of shooting and playmaking will make an immediate impact on this team,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “He’s someone who has consistently produced on the offensive end, and we think his unique abilities will fit in seamlessly with our current group.”

A nine-year veteran from Saint-Maurice, France, Fournier (6-7, 205) is averaging a career-high 19.7 points on 46.1% shooting (38.8% 3-PT) in 26 games played with Orlando this season (all starts). His 2.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.8 three-point field goals in 2020-21 also represent career-high averages.

Fournier has reached the 20-point mark 14 times in 26 games in 2020-21, with both of his 30-point efforts occurring over the last four contests. He has connected on at least five 3-point field goals in five games this season, including a career-high six 3-pointers made (of 8) against Brooklyn on March 19.

Originally drafted by Denver with the 20th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Fournier has produced 14.4 points (45.0% FG, 37.6% 3-PT, 80.6% FT), 2.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, while averaging 28.5 minutes played in nine seasons with the Nuggets and Magic. The 28-year-old is one of nine NBA players to average 15.0 points and shoot 35.0% from beyond the arc in each of the last five seasons since 2015-16.

Signed as a free agent on Nov. 30, Teague averaged 6.9 points (41.5% FG, 46.4% 3-PT), 1.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 34 games (five starts) during his lone season with the Celtics.

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Celtics Acquire Evan Fournier

BOSTON, MA – The Boston Celtics have acquired center Moe Wagner from the Washington Wizards, and forward/center Luke Kornet from the Chicago Bulls as part of a three-team deal, the team announced today. Boston sent guard Javonte Green and forward/center Daniel Theis to Chicago to complete the transaction.

Wagner (6-11, 245), 23, is averaging 7.1 points (50.8% FG, 31.0% 3-PT, 78.8% FT), 2.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 25 games (13 starts) with the Wizards this season. He has scored in double figures eight times in 2020-21, including a season-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting against the LA Clippers on Feb. 23.

Originally selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 25th pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, the former University of Michigan standout has averaged 6.9 points (49.7% FG, 30.2% 3-PT, 81.0% FT), 3.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 113 games played over three seasons with the Lakers and Wizards.

Kornet (7-2, 250), 25, has averaged 2.0 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 7.2 minutes played in 13 games for the Bulls this season. The four-year pro has posted career averages of 6.1 points (39.7% FG, 33.5% 3-PT, 76.4% FT), 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 15.3 minutes in 115 career games (33 starts) with New York and Chicago.

Theis spent each of his first four NBA seasons with the Celtics after being signed as a free agent out of Germany on July 20, 2017, averaging 7.2 points (55.4% FG, 34.5% 3-PT, 74.0% FT), 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 18.8 minutes in 236 career games (106 starts). The Salzgitter, Germany native is averaging a career-high 9.5 points on 55.2% shooting (34.7% 3-PT) in 42 games this season.

“Daniel has been a hard worker and consummate professional that has continued to improve each year since he’s been in Boston,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge. “We thank him for all of the effort and sacrifice he poured into this organization, and wish him all the best moving forward.”

Green, 27, averaged 3.7 points on 51.8% shooting, 2.0 rebounds, and 11.1 minutes played in 73 games played (four starts) over two seasons with the Celtics.

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Celtics Acquire Moe Wagner, Luke Kornet in 3-Team Trade

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WALTHAM, Mass. – The trade deadline came and went Thursday afternoon, and when Danny Ainge stepped out of his Waltham office shortly after 4 p.m., there were no transactions to be announced.

The Celtics’ president of basketball operations received a number of offers throughout the day and there were several routes he could’ve taken. But at the end of it all, no proposition was worth breaking up the current roster or sacrificing future draft picks or flexibility.

“We just didn’t have any deals that were good enough for us,” Ainge explained to Celtics.com. “We didn’t want to give up our players or our picks for the players that were being [offered]. I think that we went in with every intention of trying to do something and we had some high goals of what we wanted to accomplish, and now wasn’t the time.”

Several Celtics have blossomed this season, so it was no surprise to hear that many opposing teams were buzzing Ainge's phone throughout the day.

“We have a lot of good players on good contracts,” he said. “People around the league know that, so a lot of people tried to get those from us. But at the end of the day, I think we’re in a better position by not doing any of the deals that were [offered to us].”

Thus, the Celtics will exit the All-Star break with the exact same unit with which they entered it. Considering their success through the first two thirds of the season, that’s nothing to be disappointed about.

Boston currently sits in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 32-23 record. There are no superstars on this team, but it’s chock full of guys who work hard and enjoy playing together. Such widespread chemistry is unique, and the organization certainly cherishes it.

“You hear it all the time about all the pieces working together and maximizing all the pieces to maximize the talent that you have by playing together,” said Ainge. “And you hear also where there’s stars that don’t get along and they don’t really max out the talent that’s on the team. I think our team is maxing out their talent. I think they enjoy playing with one another, and I think they’ll be excited to continue on what they’ve done in the first 55 games.”

One could argue that it wouldn’t make sense to alter that chemistry considering the prosperity the team has experienced. Ainge, however, explained that the team’s success thus far actually makes it more tempting to seek a trade and try to improve in order to have more of a chance for an immediate banner run.

“I think that the team’s success right now maybe added a little bit of pressure in wanting to do something a little bit more,” said Ainge. “But we weren’t able to. There were deals available, but not anything that I think were in our best interests.”

Ainge has always expressed interest in landing a transcendent player, but those types of stars are difficult to come by and he explained there must be patience when seeking such a high-caliber talent.

“It might seem like we’re pushing that off,” he said with a smile. “But I think I only counted 10 or 15 of those in the league, so we’ll continue our pursuit of transcendent players through the draft and through trades and through free agency.”

For now, Ainge and the team are focused on tackling the season at hand with the assets they already have. Based on the first two thirds of the season, there is a lot to look forward to as the team begins its final stretch of the regular season.

Unfortunately, the C’s will begin the stretch run without Kelly Olynyk, who injured his shoulder against the Clippers just ahead of the All-Star break.  However, their frontcourt logjam should help in his absence.

“It’s going to be a while before he comes back, but hopefully we can hold down the fort, and we certainly we have a lot of depth to overcome some small injuries,” said Ainge.

He added, “I’m really excited about [the stretch run]. I’m really excited about our team. Our defense, it’s been really impressive. We’ve played some small ball lineups and we’ve played more traditional lineups and we have the second-best defense in the NBA right now through 55 games.”

That group of guys that compiled such a ranking is the same one you’ll see out on the court Friday night, when the Celtics embark on the final third of the season with a game against the Jazz in Salt Lake City. It will be the same squad that pushes for a playoff run come mid-April.

From there, with the assets the C’s possess and the options they will have this summer, the sky will be the limit as they continue to pursue their next banner.