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Fresh from capturing championship banner no. 18, the Boston Celtics are looking like the team to beat in the 2024-2025 season once again. The defending champions are currently second in the Eastern Conference, posting a solid 20-5 win-loss record. With the Celtics basically running back their roster, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the team isn’t missing a beat.
But while the Celtics are currently rolling, that doesn’t mean that their roster possesses no weaknesses. The reigning NBA champions certainly have plenty of weapons in their fold. However, with a young player like Jaden Springer becoming underutilized, the Celtics could instead turn to a more reliable veteran who should further punctuate the depth of the team.
Springer was last season’s trade deadline acquisition, with the Celtics surrendering a 2024 second round draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers. Since then, he sparingly played in the playoffs, helping the team win the championship. Fast forward to today, he has been buried in the Celtics bench. As a result, this makes Springer as the Celtics player who must be traded soon.
Out of the Celtics rotation
There’s no question that the Celtics have a deep backcourt. The team already leans on the formidable backcourt duo of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. Furthermore, the team is witnessing the breakout season of Payton Pritchard. With a roster that already includes White, Holiday, and early Sixth Man of the Year candidate Pritchard, it’s easy to see why Springer has failed to crack Mazzulla’s rotation on a consistent basis.
Springer has only played in seven of the team’s 25 games so far. He is also only seeing action for less than three and a half minutes per game. With Springer basically glued to the bench, in favor of the Celtics’ proven backcourt, it might be better off for the 28th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft to play for another team.
Another reason for Springer falling out of Mazzulla’s rotation is simply failing to live up to expectations. While he has showed positive signs on the defensive end, the former Tennessee standout has yet to blossom since his acquisition at last season’s trade deadline. This year, he is only putting up 0.9 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per outing on 28.6% shooting from the field overall.
Jaden Springers’ expiring contract
Another good reason that the Celtics should trade away Springer is his expiring deal. With the Celtics trading for Springer at last year’s trade deadline, the team took on his four-year rookie contract worth $10.39 million, according to Spotrac. In the final year of his deal, Springer is expected to rake in around $4 million for the 2024-2025 season.
While the Celtics don’t exactly have much wiggle room to upgrade their roster, outside of their untouchable championship core and taking into mind Pritchard’s breakout season, a young player like Springer easily becomes their top trade asset. Springer’s youth, potential, and championship experience should make him valuable to rebuilding teams. Just look at how Dyson Daniels has fared with the Atlanta Hawks this year. But more importantly, it won’t be expensive for other teams to acquire his services.
With an expiring contract and basically keeping him on the bench, the Celtics should make the most out of Springer’s value while they still can. Although the team already has a proven roster, making some minor upgrades should boost their chances to successfully defend their title. In fact, potentially acquiring a championship piece for a non-rotational player should be a win for the team if they can find a trade partner.
Celtics in win-now situation
Speaking of roster upgrades, as mentioned previously, the Celtics are in a great position to go back-to-back. As a result, they don’t exactly have the patience and resources to develop a young player like Springer. In other words, a young player like Springer simply doesn’t align with the Celtics’ present timeline.
By utilizing Springer’s upside and expiring deal, the Celtics can opt to swap the NBA champion for a reliable NBA veteran who can make a bigger impact. The Celtics are already formidable from top to bottom with their roster, but adding another proven role player should further extend the gap against the rest of the league.
It’s safe to say that the Celtics are currently the golden standard. However, with the league’s unpredictable nature, the Celtics should take some chances before the deadline to improve the supporting cast surrounding their proven championship five. While the Celtics are playing well right now, they’re also holding a huge target behind their backs that gets bigger as the playoffs come closer.
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TODAY'S BEST
Clippers Announce Multiple Roster Moves After Chris Paul Press Conference
The LA Clippers are putting the final touches on a roster that looks to be a great one, on paper. They've had a busy offseason when many expected them to mostly stand pat, adding Chris Paul, Brook Lopez, and Bradley Beal in free agency while trading Norman Powell away in a three-team deal that netted them John Collins. To make the Bradley Beal move, the Clippers had to waive Jordan Miller, a young prospect they have a lot of belief in. He stayed with the team for the NBA Summer League, made the All-Summer League First Team, but still couldn't find any other opportunities, so it was believed the Clippers could bring him back in some capacity. The Clippers announced on Tuesday that they re-signed Jordan Miller, bringing the former Miami Hurricane back on a two-way contract. They had three two-way players signed already, so they also announced who they waived. "The LA Clippers have signed Jordan Miller to a two-way contract," they announced. "In a corresponding move, the Clippers have waived Patrick Baldwin Jr." Miller averaged 4.1 PPG in his 37 appearances for the Clippers last season, and a staggering 24.5 PPG in his infrequent appearances in the G-League. He was the 48th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and has made a lasting impression on the organization in his time. Baldwin, a former first-round pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Draft, wasn't signed to his two-way contract by the Clippers until March, and he only appeared in two games for them. He was traded after his rookie season for Chris Paul, spent a year and a half with the Wizards, then who traded to the San Antonio Spurs in a four-team deal last year before being waived.
Mariners acquire Eugenio Suarez in blockbuster deal
The hype around Eugenio Suarez at the trade deadline has been circulating for quite some time, and now, the 34-year-old third baseman has been dealt to the Seattle Mariners, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Suarez has bounced around the major leagues through a 12-year career, including a stop in Seattle for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In that span, Suarez tallied 267 hits, 53 home runs and 183 RBIs. In Passan's report, the trade is pending a medical review. Suarez was hit on the right index finger by a pitch while playing on Monday in Detroit. There were no fractures revealed in his CT scan and MRI exam he got after leaving the game. Suarez has not played since that game on Monday. Suarez joins a Seattle team that is fighting in the AL West race, trailing five games to the Houston Astros. The Mariners are also clinging to the third AL Wild Card spot, tied with the Texas Rangers and in the playoff pack with the Yankees and Red Sox. Suarez in Seattle also means that two of the top home run hitters in baseball will team up on the same lineup card. Cal Raleigh leads the league with 41 home runs and added a Home Run Derby title to his 2025 season accolades. Suarez sits in fifth place in MLB with his 36 homers. Suarez is the first player in MLB history to be traded in-season after reaching 35 home runs, as reported by Yahoo Sports. MLB.com's Daniel Kramer reported shortly after the Suarez trade news broke that the return to Arizona will be Tyler Locklear and pitching prospects Hunter Cranton (No. 16) and right-hander Juan Burgos (No. 17), according to Kramer. Locklear made his MLB debut last season and played 16 games with the Mariners, putting together seven hits and a .156 batting average in 49 plate appearances. Suarez will not have a chance to see his former team as Arizona and Seattle don't meet this season, but the veteran first baseman will likely get a chance to expand upon limited playoff experience, and he'll do so playing his best baseball.
Colts GM expresses regret on Anthony Richardson decision
The Indianapolis Colts wish they had made a different decision in 2023. The Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft after the dual-threat quarterback had an incredible third season at Florida. He threw for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns and added 654 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground in his first season as a full-time starter. Given the momentum Richardson had at Florida in 2022 and with Indianapolis during OTAs, then-first-year head coach Shane Steichen named the former Gators quarterback the Colts' starter in the middle of preseason. Per Zak Keefer of The Athletic, Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard has "regret" in not waiting to start Richardson until he was better adjusted to the league. "The regret is real, from both player and team," Keefer wrote. "Ballard wishes he’d resisted the urge to hand Richardson the job right away, a move late owner Jim Irsay pushed for at the time. What the young quarterback needed was the chance to acclimate to the NFL, to learn the job, to watch a veteran’s daily habits and build his own." “He just doesn’t know yet,” Ballard told The Athletic. “He didn’t have enough experience, both from a play standpoint but also a professional standpoint of how to get ready.” But, Ballard concedes, “when you take one high, there’s an expectation. The pressure to play the kid is real.” Richardson suffered a couple of injuries in his rookie season before his campaign ended in October when he had to have shoulder surgery. He also dealt with injuries and a brief benching in favor of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in 2024. In his 15 games played in two seasons, Richardson has thrown for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while adding 635 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Before training camp this summer, the team declared Richardson and former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones would compete for the starting job for 2025. Despite Richardson's status as a starter being unknown this year, Ballard isn't considering releasing or trading the 23-year-old quarterback. He thinks Richardson can be a starter by 2026. The tricky part now for the Colts is that they must unlock Richardson's talent while also encouraging the young quarterback. Frankly, it won't be good for his confidence if he gets beaten out by Jones in training camp. As the No. 4 pick in the draft, 2023 should have been the year for a real quarterback competition. Instead, a difficult situation has been created for the Colts and Richardson, and it serves as a lesson for overeager general managers and coaches.
Michigan Football Makes Chase Herbstreit Announcement as Training Camp Begins
The Michigan Wolverines made one of the most surprising moves of the 2024-25 college football recruiting cycle as head coach Sherrone Moore added quarterback Chase Herbstreit, the son of former Ohio State player Kirk Herbstreit, to his 2025 recruiting class. Herbstreit became part of a loaded QB class that included freshman sensation Bryce Underwood along with two transfers, Mikey Keene from Fresno State and Jake Garcia from East Carolina. On Wednesday, news broke of an update regarding Chase Herbstreit that signaled the start of his Wolverines career in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines announced player numbers, heights and weights as training camp began in Ann Arbor. "Michigan freshman QB Chase Herbstreit will wear No. 15 to begin his career," reporter Clayton Sayfie wrote on X along with a fire emoji. Herbstreit will compete to be in the mix for playing time with a stable full of quarterbacks that includes an intriguing mix of youth and veterans at the position. Underwood is the expected starter, but Keene and Garcia are coming off of starting seasons at other universities and could push for the starting job in the coming weeks. Herbstreit is 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and hails from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was listed as a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com prior to his commitment to the Wolverines and projects as a solid runner and passer who could become an integral part of the Wolverines' quarterback room this year and beyond.
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