The Boston Celtics acquired Jaden Springer from the Philadelphia 76ers just before the NBA Trade Deadline passed on February 8. Before his first game against the Sixers, Springer talked about how the trade surprised him.
“I was kind of surprised a little bit,” Springer told reporters, per CLNS Media Boston Sports Network’s YouTube Channel. “It caught me off guard, but I’m okay with the decision they made. It’s fine with me. I’m happy to be here.”
Springer hasn’t played much for the Celtics since they acquired him, but that may not have much to do with him. Midseason acquisitions typically need time to acclimate themselves to their new team. There isn’t much pressure on Springer because the Celtics have stuck with their rotation all season. In fact, he told reporters about what he’s been up since Boston acquired him.
“Continuing to learn from these guys,” Springer said. “We’ve got some great guards, guys that have been around the league for a while and have winning experience. So being able to learn from them and just help my game develop and take it to the next level. That would be big.”
Springer has another year left on his rookie contract, so he has another year to familiarize himself with the Celtics.
Nick Nurse Wishes Jaden Springer the Best
Before the Sixers played the Celtics, Jaden Springer’s former coach, Nick Nurse, praised his former player and hoped he could continue to improve his game.
“Listen, he does a couple of things really well,” Nurse said, per CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning’s X account. “He really defends the ball, and he really gets the ball to the rim with some physicality, and he’s very young. He’s still working on the kind of shooting piece, but he was improving on that as well. I mean, I hope he continues to improve and finds his way in the league.”
Springer played under both Nurse and Doc Rivers when he played for the Sixers. His role expanded in his third season with the Sixers, going from 5.6 minutes a game to 10.8. While Springer may not play much for the Celtics during the 2023-24 season,
Jaden Springer Explains How Celtics Are Different
Following his trade to the Celtics, Jaden Springer explained how the Celtics are different from the Sixers.
“I feel like there’s more read and react,” Springer said on February 22, per CLNS Media Boston Sports Network’s YouTube Channel. “You going out there playing based off each other, playing based off your teammates. So you’re just reading what everybody else is doing. It’s not really a set, ‘we have to do this, we have to do that.’ So just going out there and hooping and playing basketball.”
At 21 years old, Springer is among the younger Celtics on the roster. There are only two players on their roster who are younger than he is. He is only a week older than JD Davison, while Jordan Walsh is two years younger than him. Springer may very well headline the Celtics’ youth movement going forward.
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