Basketball fantasy managers keenly monitor the players that various teams will buy and sell. The NBA trade deadline just concluded on February 8, and we have a lot to talk about. The Boston Celtics' fans were eager to see whether their favorite team would make a last-minute trade as they often do.
Who Were the Boston Celtics Interested in Trading?
The Celtics were rumored to have shown interest in the following Utah Jazz players.
Kris Dunn
Kris Dunn had a quiet comeback with the Jazz by being an intelligent playmaker and an amazing perimeter defender. The Jazz added Dunn to their rotation due to his efficiency and fast decision-making ability. The Celtics wouldn’t have always included the Providence alumni in their rotation. Dunn would have been on the bench during games in which Payton Pritchard was in the starting lineup.
Kris Dunn, the All-Defense campaign is on
4 steals and 3 blocks is nuts pic.twitter.com/CbsvxBFsWB
Dunn currently receives a $2.5 million salary and didn’t catch the attention of many NBA teams in the just-concluded trade period. The Celtics are rumored to have had a $6 million trade budget that would have enabled them to buy Simone Fontecchio and Dunn. They would have been perfect bench players for the Celtics.
Kelly Olynyk
Many NBA fans speculated that Kelly Olynyk would return to the Celtics this year. Olynyk won many basketball diehards’ hearts during the four seasons he played for the Celtics. Even so, the Celtics expressed their interest in Olynyk. Nevertheless, Olynyk's three-point shot and five-out playstyle would make him a perfect choice for the Celtics.
Olynyk would been a boost to the Celtics’ big man depth after joining Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis. Olynyk has a $12 million salary, and the Celtics would have been forced to let go of some rotation players to acquire the big man. Olynyk would have been a wise selection and instantly made a positive impact on the team.
Celtics Trade Deadline Recap
The Celtics clearly weren't in a rush to trade as they purchased Daniel Theis past 2 PM before reaching out to the Houston Rockets. Still, the Celtics traded Jaden Springer, a talented winger, with the Philadelphia 76ers before the 3 PM finish.
The 76ers are trading Jaden Springer to the Celtics for a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN.
The Celtics sold two second-rounders to buy Xavier Tillman on Thursday morning. Reports indicate that the Celtics sent a 2024 second-rounder to the Sixers from New Orleans or Chicago.
Is Jaden Springer Worth the Price?
Jared Weiss and Jay King from The Athletic recently gave their opinions regarding the Celtics move. King referred to Jaden Springer as a talented, athletic, and energetic guard. Springer has an average of 1.1 blocks and 2.4 steals per 36 minutes this NBA season, which is less than his average last season.
Even so, King predicts that Springer won’t play in many games as the Celtics might exclude him from their rotation. Springer has offensive shortcomings and has a bad 3-point shooting percentage in the G League. Still, Springer has made 10 out of 42 3-point attempts, slightly over 23 percent. Due to that critical flaw, Springer’s low accuracy might make him miss out on some of the Celtics’ starting lineups.
Weiss states that Springer is better than Dalano Banton. In the two games Springer played this week, he covered Luka Doncic and Stephen Curry, a huge achievement that Boston lacked despite being a deep reserve. Springer will prevent their opponents from having 12-2 lead runs.
21-year-old Jaden Springer has that All-Defense potential ?
He's active, strong, bouncy and pesky. Celtics got a real dog: pic.twitter.com/OzmBQibWVM
Sam Hauser is a passive point-of-attack defense player who can balance. However, Springer is a pressure defender who runs in both directions. Springer will earn the Celtics offensive rebounds and off-cuts. Springer's defensive skills will make him a perfect choice for Joe Mazzulla in the playoff series.
The latest NBA trade didn’t cause major changes in fantasy basketball. So, fantasy managers are less likely to change their rosters. But, some of the players who were less active before the trade deadline might be leading streamers in the season’s two last months.
