The Boston Celtics are trading Jaden Springer to the Houston Rockets, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. They will also exchange heavily-protected second-round picks in the swap.
The deal is purely financially motivated on Boston’s side of the equation. The Celtics had more than $196 million in salary on their books before the trade, making them a deep second-apron team with a hefty luxury tax bill coming. By moving Springer without bringing a player back, however, they save roughly $16 million in terms of salary and luxury taxes combined, according to Yossi Gozlan. They are still a second-apron team, and they will have to sign a 14th player within two weeks, but they save a nice chunk of change overall in the deal.
Springer was the No. 28 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He hardly played in Philadelphia, though, and was dealt to Boston last season. He still struggled to crack the rotation in Boston, but played well in limited minutes for the Celtics.
On Jan. 22, for instance, he swung a game against the Los Angeles Clippers with four steals and eight huge points in an overtime win for Boston.
His defensive, energy and athleticism fit into Houston’s culture nicely. While the Rockets likely won’t use him as a regular part of their rotation, he still has upside as a deep bench player on a winning team that values what he can bring to the table.
