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Can Jaden Springer show Celtics he’s worth a long-term investment? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
When the Boston Celtics acquired Jaden Springer from the Philadelphia 76ers at February’s NBA trade deadline, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens noted how the move felt like an opportunity to add a young player who might be able to help the Celtics further down the road.
In a way, Stevens, who to that point hadn’t made a first-round pick in his brief tenure as president of basketball operations, was adding a first-round selection to a roster that desperately needs low-cost young talent to supplement its expensive, championship core.
On Saturday, Springer was maybe the biggest bright spot for the Celtics in their NBA Summer League debut in Las Vegas. He scored a team-high 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting while adding six assists over 25 minutes in a loss to the Miami Heat.
While Stevens noted a long “runway” with Springer after the acquisition, Boston’s financial situation could put a squeeze on that development window. Springer is set to be the eighth-highest paid Celtics player next season, earning $4 million in the final year of the rookie-scale deal he signed with the Sixers in 2021.
In a vacuum, that’s not a prohibitive number. It’s less than 3 percent of the 2024-25 cap. But because the Celtics are so far into the luxury tax, they are projected to pay up to 3.75-times for every dollar deep into the tax. In a way, that transforms a $4 million player into a $15 million investment.
It’s one thing to splurge that sort of money on a player who projects to crack your top 10 rotation. But Springer is set to earn nearly twice as much as players like Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, and Xavier Tillman from last year’s title team.
The Celtics clearly believe in Springer’s potential by splurging to add him last season. His ability to show that he’s on the pathway to becoming a potential rotation piece would ease the hardships of carrying his contact through the upcoming season.
Springer certainly made a strong opening statement at summer league. He probed with confidence on the offensive end…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jaden-springer-show-celtics-hes-152352955.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-07-15 15:23:52
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