When the Celtics acquired Jaden Springer from the 76ers for a second-round pick, it turned some heads as a rare trade between rivals. Not only that, but Springer had made an impact in the Sixers rotation before the deal as his defensive prowess was on full display.
But as Sixers president Daryl Morey said, he thought the second-round pick would help Philadelphia more in the short-term than Springer. So that’s why they sent the third-year pro to Boston, though some Sixers fans weren’t happy about that.
On the flip side, Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck poked a little run at 76ers fans who might have been upset about the trade. Grousbeck made his quick remark during an appearance on NBC Sports Boston in the Celtics’ win over the Wizards on Sunday.
“What I did when we traded for him,” Grousbeck said, “I looked at the Philly message boards. And the fans were really quite upset under the comments. They didn’t want to see him go.”
Springer hasn’t made a huge impact yet for the Celtics, but that’s not too surprising considering the depth in front of him. But it was clear why the front office went and acquired the talented guard. The 6-foot-4 Springer is in his third season out of college, but he’s still only 21 years old. That makes him younger than some of the 2024 draft prospects who have spent years at the college level.
So the Celtics will hope Springer continues developing behind the scenes, especially because he could be a rotation contributor down the line. He’s already shown flashes with his defense, and that’ll likely be the easiest way for him to get meaningful minutes in Boston.
It doesn’t hurt either that the Springer trade ended up on Grousbeck’s radar. So Springer will look to get the last word in after Philly moved him at the deadline.
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