Did last year's Jaden Springer trade ever make sense?

[Roy H.]

It's fair to say that Jaden Springer's tenure here didn't work out.  We got about a year out of him, with it costing us two second rounders..

The question is, is there a situation where it ever would have worked out?  Can a tax team ever justify carrying a $4 million contract for a defensive specialist with anemic offensive contributions? Would there ever be a role for him under Joe Mazzulla?

And on a related note, why didn't he play in more games? I understand why he never cracked the rotation, because his offense was unplayable. But, why wasn't he consistently entered into the game in final shot situations on defense?

I wish him the best. I think that all of us see Avery Bradley potential in him, but he is going to have to bust his ass working on his outside shot.

[keevsnick]

At the time the future of several Celtics like Hauser and White was uncertain. Springer I think was acquired as a guy who maybe could step into a rotation spot if they lost players for contract reasons, or failing that had a slightly larger for this seaosn that would be useful for salary aggregating purposes.

As it turned out they brought their entire rotation back and ended up so far in the tax that his useful as a contract became a detriment instead of an asset.

[Goldstar88]

I think the hope was that he could figure out how to shoot and be like an Avery Bradley type. Unfortunately, he didn?t figure out his shot and Brad had to cut bait.

[Celtics2021]

At the time the future of several Celtics like Hauser and White was uncertain. Springer I think was acquired as a guy who maybe could step into a rotation spot if they lost players for contract reasons, or failing that had a slightly larger for this seaosn that would be useful for salary aggregating purposes.

As it turned out they brought their entire rotation back and ended up so far in the tax that his useful as a contract became a detriment instead of an asset.

Pretty much this.  Jrue also had yet to sign an extension and could have otherwise hit free agency last summer.  And Pritchard completely took off this year, winning any sort of potential competition with Springer before it could start.  There are plenty of alternate scenarios where getting Springer looks like a shrewd move.  It just so happened that all of the other moves by Brad were even more shrewd so as to relegate this one to the mistake pile.

I still like him and will keep an eye out should he become available again.  In the meanwhile, onward.

[Roy H.]

At the time the future of several Celtics like Hauser and White was uncertain. Springer I think was acquired as a guy who maybe could step into a rotation spot if they lost players for contract reasons, or failing that had a slightly larger for this seaosn that would be useful for salary aggregating purposes.

As it turned out they brought their entire rotation back and ended up so far in the tax that his useful as a contract became a detriment instead of an asset.

Play that through, though.  With Joe, could Springer ever get rotation minutes?  He would have had to take a monumental leap in both shooting and basketball IQ, and would have had to do it in one season.

[byennie]

Seems like an insurance policy that just never filed a claim, which is a little unfair to the player but so it goes.

I was at the Clipper game in person a few weeks ago when Springer was basically the MVP with his late-game defense (even hitting a couple of 3s and a couple of FTs). Out of the 19 guys that played in that game, I cannot emphasize enough how Springer was the ONLY guy who showed up and competed on either side. Just an absolute sleepwalking, sloppy mess of a game.

How that translates to games played at a higher level, I really don't know. He might not be a rotation guy on any decent NBA team. But, I respected him showing up and competing that night.

[Vermont Green]

The Springer trade goes down as a miss.  I can see the attraction.  He is very young, is clearly on the verge of figuring it out and being a solid bench player, but his time ran out here.

The reactions to him on here have quite a range.  From "waste of a roster spot" to "why didn't Mazzulla play him more".  We'll see what Udoka is able to do with him.

He is clearly on the NBA bubble.  There is a lot there to like, he is an NBA athlete.  It is just a question of whether he will develop NBA shooting touch.  He is still a project.

[smicker16]

The Rockets waived him right? 
I think the idea was to have a slightly higher salary to be able to use to trade at some point.  It clearly did not work out and if Springer was indeed waived then it seems hs value aorund the league is extremely low and they misjudged his potential slightly.  Worth the risk of the 2 2nd rounders I guess and not going to impact us in the long-term.

In reality, it probably makes no sense to have guys 11-15 making more than the minimum on a team like the Celtics.  They are not going to play often and the tax penalties make those contracts even more expensive.  I mean for most teams above the second apron except maybe the Heat it probably does not make sense to carry guys worth more than the min in those salary slots.

[liam]

He seems like a guy Miami will pick up and drops 30 on us in a game next year...

[otherdave]

when the team traded for Springer last year, neither Holiday, White, nor Sam Hauser had been extended - if any of those 3 don't return, maybe Springer could have had consistent minutes this year - if he was always intended for insurance, the trade for him is not a "misfire" - just Brad keeping 3 steps ahead of the rest of us.

[Roy H.]

when the team traded for Springer last year, neither Holiday, White, nor Sam Hauser had been extended - if any of those 3 don't return, maybe Springer could have had consistent minutes this year - if he was always intended for insurance, the trade for him is not a "misfire" - just Brad keeping 3 steps ahead of the rest of us.

I guess I just can't see Springer cracking the rotation on a contender in any situation.  That's amplified on a Joe Mazzulla team.

[perks-a-beast]

I knew if he was any good philly wouldnt have felt inclined to trade him to us.

Swing and a miss by Brad. It's OK, it happens.

[ozgod]

At the time the future of several Celtics like Hauser and White was uncertain. Springer I think was acquired as a guy who maybe could step into a rotation spot if they lost players for contract reasons, or failing that had a slightly larger for this seaosn that would be useful for salary aggregating purposes.

As it turned out they brought their entire rotation back and ended up so far in the tax that his useful as a contract became a detriment instead of an asset.

I think these were the assumptions they made when they signed him. Safe to say they didn't work out (White re-signed, Hauser upped his game, and there were no deals out there that they could use his salary on that would have worked for both parties). An investment that didn't work out.

[Surferdad]

I think the hope was that he could figure out how to shoot and be like an Avery Bradley type. Unfortunately, he didn?t figure out his shot and Brad had to cut bait.

So, instead of being an Avery Bradley-type, he is more like a Tony Allen-type. He plays excellent defense so may still carve out a journeyman career in this league.

[Goldstar88]

I think the hope was that he could figure out how to shoot and be like an Avery Bradley type. Unfortunately, he didn?t figure out his shot and Brad had to cut bait.

So, instead of being an Avery Bradley-type, he is more like a Tony Allen-type. He plays excellent defense so may still carve out a journeyman career in this league.

Tony Allen was a very good role player. Not a good 3pt shooter, but he wasn?t taking many at all. His midrange game was solid, though. Career 48% from the field. Springer can?t shoot from anywhere, which is why he might not make it in the NBA.