Welcome to Boston Jaden Springer, and other deadline thoughts

Jim breaks down the Jaden Springer trade to the Celtics from the Sixers. How he fits with the Celtics for this season and next. Jim also gives his thoughts on the Knicks, Bucks, Sixers, and Mavs deadline deals. 

This audible journey isn't just about the stats and scores; it's an expedition through the minds of management, unearthing the reasoning behind the Knicks' unexpected savvy, the Sixers' puzzling plays, and the Bucks' bet on Beverley. We cast a critical gaze at the Mavericks' controversial trade and the constraints imposed by the new CBA, forecasting how the buyout market could reshape teams snug against the luxury tax apron. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual observer, this episode promises to elevate your NBA discourse with insights that go well beyond the box score.

Transcript

Jim Quigley: 0:00

Okay, the game I like tonight is I like Houston getting one and a half of Toronto. For Toronto this would be four out of six, four games and six nights. You know they are what they are. They're up and down 18 wins on the season. Really I'm not going anywhere. Send some guys out, including Dennis Schroeder yesterday, which would open up things for Manuel quickly, which isn't a bad thing for them. But you know they're a team trying to figure out who they are. Post all these trades of Luz and Siakam and OG and now Schroeder. And of course they made the trade to bring Kelly Olinik.

Jim Quigley: 0:35

I on the other flip side, houston, you know they're still playing for something it's. They're probably not going to get into the playoffs but they're young team. They've been off since Tuesday so they're well rested. I know this is a bit of a revenge spot for the Raptors. You know they got blown out in Houston last week by nearly 30 points. But I just kind of I look at this. You know Houston kind of said to the young players we have faith in you, we're going to keep this core together, let's go see what you can do. And I got a sense they got to respond with a good showing tonight. So my bet, the pick I like not that the pick I like tonight would be Houston getting one and a half points. You know, don't have to take it, do what you feel is right. You know, just watch. But you know I watch a lot of NBA and that's my feeling as far as the Celtics game tonight. It's a huge number, sixteen and a half. You know, with bad teams that usually typically try to stay away as much as possible, although you know, if I was going to throw something, if I did like something, it would be the Celtics team total first half over, which is at 65 and a half. You're listening to offering in depth analysis on all things Boston Celtics with your hosts, jim and Mike. Quickly, okay, everyone, this is a real quick pod today Want to just go over what happened yesterday, how it impacts the Celtics and you know, as we look forward to the rest of the season, mike can't jump on to this post trade deadline pod that we're going to do, so we're just going to do this quickly.

Jim Quigley: 2:20

First, the Celtics moves. They brought in Jaden Springer from the 76ers, sending out a second round pick. They sent out Danilo Blanton and got back a really well protected second round pick from Portland that may never have a convey. I think it's top 50. Protected a top 55, something ridiculous. So that was just more of an open roster spot type of Dale for the Celtics and I think that was done for salary purposes and for the purpose of salary and tax and all that stuff.

Jim Quigley: 3:00

Basically, I think from a fans perspective it doesn't really do much to change their situation now For this season they'll remain about 15 million over that second apron, so that doesn't really impact too much what they're going to pay or anything like that in terms of this season Sticking with the boring financials. What this does do is it gives them Springer. He's already locked into his option on his first round draft pick. Deal has already been exercised, so that $4 million is locked in for next year. That's a good thing for the Celtics. It's a good thing if they want to use that in a trade. They don't have many options or ability because of the way their salary structure is set up right now to go out in free agency and bring in talent. In much of ways, this Grant Williams TP will expire early next off season, so having a salary that you can kind of jumble up with other salaries like this $4 million and they don't have many in that ballpark on the roster right now that you can use to kind of in a trade potentially is a valuable thing. I think the more valuable thing for the Celtics is they see a little bit of an upside. This was a surprising trade, not from the sense where I think Springer is going to come in here and be an impact player and be part of the playoff rotation this season or anything like that, because they don't. I think it was a surprising trade because there is upside with this player and to get him from a rival in the Philadelphia 76s for a second round pick you just don't expect to see.

Jim Quigley: 5:00

One thing this roster lacks is a wing that can come off the bench and defend multiple positions at a pretty high level, looking at a guy who can guard one to four. Essentially, the Celtics used to have that with the roster structure in the past, but they certainly don't have it now. Presets have a good job of putting in effort, but he has limitations there. Certainly a good offensive rebound and an overall better player than Springer is at this point in their career, but Springer is just a naturally gifted defender. Over the last week with injuries to the sixes. You know, obviously everyone knows him, but Tobias Harris being out, among others, springer has gotten a chance to play over the last week plus and he's done really well on the defensive side. He's caused problems for some of the best players in the league. He's matched up against Steph Curry, he's matched up against Luca Donkic and he's more than held his own. We've even seen some of that versus Celtics this season where he's caused problems with Jason Tatum. So he's a really good defender.

Jim Quigley: 6:19

He's a good off ball defender. He's an extraordinarily gifted athlete Type of guy. If he has the ball on the break, he's a really good finisher. He was one of the top recruited players in the country out of high school. So there really is room for growth Now.

Jim Quigley: 6:40

He's not a good offensive player. He's not a really good shooter. Hopefully he can work on those parts of his game and hopefully come into Boston and a place where there's been some history of pretty good player development. They're able to assist him there and he's able to grow and maybe you get something going into next season that you didn't expect. Maybe he becomes a rotation player for you next year, but what he does give you this year for the limited time they're going to use him is.

Jim Quigley: 7:15

He's a guy that can come in on nights where a player is going off a wing player or a god and potentially cause some problems and disrupt a good player's rhythm. Again, they don't have that. Peyton Pritchett doesn't give it to him, sam Hauser doesn't give it to him and if you look down the bench before, whether it was Lamar Stevens who's gone, a Banton or a Tuak, they just don't have that, and now they do. And that's a valuable thing. It's even something that you could potentially use in the playoffs. It's very highly unlikely, but it's potentially something you could use.

Jim Quigley: 7:57

So I think this was a good deal from financial and roster flexibility perspective and I think it was a good move to give your roster another element of something they did not have much. In the same way, xavier Atilman right, xavier Atilman you bring in here. He's a big body that has had success against some of the best players in the league, some of the best bids in the league. You know, however, you measure success against those guys. He's had it and the guy that can cover wings as well and potential roster flexibility where you now have his bird rights going into his unrestricted free agency next year. So if you're able to resign him at a number that fits for you, using the bird rights, that's another contract, like you have with Springer and like you have with Peyton Pritchard, that can be used to bring in somebody else down the line too, if need be. So a good job by Brad.

Jim Quigley: 8:56

You know, if people were expecting fireworks at the trade deadline, I think they were probably disappointed. It was probably a unrealistic expectation. You should not have been expecting fireworks. This was about around the edges, and what Stevens did do is he gave them something they did not have on the roster. He gave them a defensive big that you know matches up with the wider, bigger bodies in the league. It can also cover wings, and you gave yourself a wing slash guard. That is really a talented defensive player that you did not. You certainly did not have that on your bench at all. So overall, I think as a Celtics fan, you have to feel pretty good.

Jim Quigley: 9:46

As it relates to the rest of the league in terms of the Celtics, I think the obvious is the Knicks. The Knicks bringing in Bob Donovich from Detroit. You know Escora, someone that's had a lot of success against Celtics actually in the past. He's up there in age, he can't really defend anymore, but he gives them an offensive punch and a guy that can go off for 20 to 30 points on any given night and that's a good thing for them. And then Alec Burke as well, from Detroit, is part of that same deal and I expected them to go out and get a really good offensive player. I know there was a lot of rumors around Bruce Brown, but I thought they were going to target someone like Bob Donovich. I actually was worried there would be someone like Jordan Clarkson. That would really give them a boost. But what Bob Donovich does, what Burke does as well, it doesn't inhibit them in any way from going out and getting a superstar this offseason and in fact the way the salary structure is set up for them now it kind of increases those odds. I wouldn't even put them in the lead over the Sixers In that regard.

Jim Quigley: 10:58

The Knicks for years, you know, I used to like to make fun of their management and what's going on over there. They know what they're doing. They're one of the Smiders management groups in the league now, which is hard to believe, and they're building something and I actually would not be shocked to see a Celtics Knicks Eastern Conference finals with the way the standings are kind of going right now at all. You know, that would not shock me one bit if this ends up being the matchup. They got a lot of dogs over there. They got, you know, obviously the Villanova crew. They got a lot of guys that are willing to fight. They got a good roster. I don't think it's good enough to get out of the East. I don't think it's good enough to win a finals right now or anything like that. But it's built a little bit the same way as those old IT teams but more talented, those IT Celtics team but more talented. So it was a good day for them.

Jim Quigley: 11:57

The Sixers I'm not sure what they're doing. They brought in Buddy Heald, which would be a decent fit with Embiid and Maxi, if Embiid comes back. Beyond that, I thought they could have done more. You know, at the deadline I thought they really should have pushed hard to target some of the bigger names that were out there and maybe they did it and it just didn't work out. You need willing partners and you have some really bad player personnel departments across this league, but I don't really look at them and say, wow, they drastically improved. Trading out Pap Evelie to arrival the Bucks was a kind of a weird move to bring the campaign. I don't really understand that move for them at all, not that I guess it really matters. So Heald helps and if Embiid comes back and he's healthy, that could look like a lot better move than I'm seeing it right now. But if I'm a sixth of the fan, I really hope that Mori knows exactly what's going on in terms of what's gonna be available this off season, because otherwise it's kind of felt disappointing. I would think if I was a sixth of the fan, especially with the amount of contracts they have available to trade now that they may not have once the off season begins. So you know, an okay job.

Jim Quigley: 13:29

The other team that you obviously wanted to look at could Milwaukee do anything to prove their defense? I think Milwaukee you know it's no secret about how I feel about them if you've been listening to this part I think that one of those teams where the record does not match their play and you're seeing it now. They've lost five or six in stocks come in or four or five or something like that, and defense continues just to be a huge issue. I wondered if they were gonna try to package Connington and you know what are the second round picks they have left to try to bring in like a guy like Fetney Smith or Royce O'Neill, to give them a wing defender, something they have not had in years. They went to Rada, pat Beverly and I guess he helps. He's a smaller defender. I think he's a little bit overrated as a defender but he certainly better fit there than campaign. So it was an improvement. I don't think it's done enough, I don't think it's a needle mover. I think they still have their same issues with wing defenders and you know Dame kind of being the top of the spear on defense as a under size God. So we'll see. You know, maybe Beverly just his, you know can change the culture a little bit of what you're seeing over there and you know they still see themselves as championship contenders and Janus and Dame together they should. But I don't think I'd be uninspired if I was a buck fit man and I know there's a lot of talk about buyouts and we should get right into that and how it.

Jim Quigley: 15:11

Oh, the other team I did not think to did well and a lot of people. This seems to be the biggest disagreement if you're on Twitter around the league. I don't think Dallas did well. I don't understand why you include a first round pick when you basically have none left with Grant Williams to get PJ Washington. I mean Williams and Washington, they're almost the same player. Washington's a little bit better, I do think Washington's a little bit better, for sure, but not enough to throw a first round pickin' with. But now and now your cup it's basically bare. So flexibility into the off season and into the future is gonna be limited. This is not a championship team. They're not close to a championship team in Dallas. I don't like the way they play.

Jim Quigley: 15:59

I do think Daniel Gafford was a really good move. I you know earlier their first move. I thought that was a really good move and I thought that was something you look towards in the future seasons. I think losing your first round pick that you actually, you know, had for flexibility moves into next off season was a mistake. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't think PJ Washington is going to be a guy that really moves the needle over there. I think they're a little bit better today than they were yesterday with him over Grant Williams, but it's not a huge, huge difference Not enough for a first round pick. So that's just my thought on that.

Jim Quigley: 16:41

All right, before we close this out, bio, there's going to be a lot of guys out there in the market and you're going to have teams that need to bring guys in. Something to keep in mind, especially when you think about teams like the Celtics and the Bucks. They can't bring in anyone making over $12 million. That's a bit of an exception number, and the reason for that is the new CBA and the Celtics and Bucks are in the second tax apron, so they're limited on whom they can bring in. Now, from the Celtics perspective, I don't think it's that big a deal. I don't think they're looking or really need anyone that's going to be on the bio market the Kyle Lowries of the world, donald Galanari's, you name it whoever might be out there. It would be a bit of a luxury, but it's not something they need.

Jim Quigley: 17:32

For the Bucks, I think it's a big deal. I think they would love to go out and sign Marcus Morris, as he's going to get released after being involved in the trade from the Sixers. I think he ended up in Memphis and he's going to be released or bought out. He's making too much money. He's making $17 million now, so the Bucks can't be in on that wing and you're going to see a bunch of that. So if you're interested in a player, you see that he gets bought out. You probably and you want him on the Celtics. Take a look at his current salary. If it's north of $12 million, don't waste your time thinking about it or lost it after that player because the Celtics can't even talk to him. So that's kind of where it is under the new CBA. All right, happy Friday everybody. Tonight's the Wizards, the Celtics, I'm sure in the first half will crush them and then cruise from there, and I'm sure there will be a key play from the Celtics who get tonight off. Talk to you everyone soon. Have a great weekend.