The Boston Celtics’ 2024-25 season ended in heartbreak, with a second-round playoff exit to the New York Knicks after Jayson Tatum’s devastating Achilles injury, per ESPN. Despite a 64-18 regular-season record and an 18th championship in 2024, the team’s $228 million payroll—the NBA’s highest—faces a financial reckoning, per Spotrac. With trade rumors swirling and the second apron looming, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens must make tough calls to retool the roster, per Boston Herald. Among the Celtics’ deep lineup, one player’s lackluster performance stands out as a liability, making them the prime candidate to be traded first. Who underperformed the most, and why must Boston move them? Let’s analyze the stats, context, and trade potential to uncover the weakest link.
The Celtics’ 2024-25 campaign was a rollercoaster, starting with a record-tying 29 three-pointers in their opener and clinching an 11th straight playoff berth, per Wikipedia. However, Tatum’s injury in Game 4 against the Knicks derailed their repeat hopes, exposing roster vulnerabilities, per NBC Sports Boston. While stars like Jaylen Brown (2024 Finals MVP) and Payton Pritchard (Sixth Man of the Year) shone, others faltered. Candidates for the worst performer include bench players like Jaden Springer, Xavier Tillman, and Sam Hauser, whose roles dwindled, per ClutchPoints. After reviewing stats, impact, and trade feasibility, one player emerges as the weakest link: Jaden Springer, whose minimal contribution and expiring contract make him the top trade candidate.
Jaden Springer: The Weakest Link
Acquired at the 2024 trade deadline from Philadelphia, Jaden Springer was billed as a developmental guard with defensive upside, per ClutchPoints. At 22, the former first-round pick showed flashes in Summer League (e.g., 23 points vs. Miami), but his 2024-25 season was a bust. Springer averaged just 2.1 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 7.6 minutes across 32 games, with a 39.9% field goal percentage, per Basketball-Reference. His -2.3 net rating ranked among the team’s worst, per NBA.com, and he was out of the playoff rotation, playing only 12 total minutes, per ESPN. Compared to peers like Pritchard (9.6 PPG, 3.4 APG) or even Luke Kornet (6.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, +14.9 net rating), Springer’s impact was negligible, per Boston.com. X posts from @CelticsStats lament his “non-existent offense,” with fans noting his 28.6% three-point shooting as a liability in Boston’s spacing-heavy system.
Why Springer Underperformed
Springer’s struggles stem from a mismatch with Boston’s needs. The Celtics’ offense, which led the NBA in three-point attempts (42.5 per game), relies on shooters and playmakers, per NBA.com. Springer’s limited range (0.2 threes made per game) and low usage (8.7% usage rate) clogged lineups, per Synergy Sports. Defensively, his 6’4” frame and 1.1 steals per 36 minutes showed potential, but he couldn’t displace Derrick White (1.2 SPG) or Jrue Holiday (0.9 SPG), per Basketball-Reference. His role shrank as rookies like Baylor Scheierman (41.3% from three) emerged, per NBC Sports Boston. X posts from @BostonFanaticX question why Stevens kept Springer over Lonnie Walker IV, who was cut despite preseason promise, per NBC Sports Boston. Springer’s $4 million expiring contract also drew trade interest, but Boston refused to attach draft picks, per HoopsHype, signaling his low value.
Trade Candidacy and Financial Context
With a projected $238 million luxury tax bill for 2025-26, Boston is $20 million over the second apron, restricting trades, per Spotrac. Springer’s $4 million salary is movable without draft capital, making him an easy cut, per MassLive. Unlike Sam Hauser, whose $10 million extension and 41.8% three-point shooting make him a trade candidate but valuable, or Tillman, who played sparingly but fits as a minimum-salary big, Springer offers no immediate upside, per Boston Herald. A trade could target wing depth (e.g., Javonte Green, Toumani Camara) or a cost-controlled big (e.g., Nick Richards), per Boston Herald. However, Springer’s youth could appeal to rebuilding teams like Brooklyn, who value his 2026 qualifying offer, per HoopsHype. X posts from @NBATradeTalk suggest Charlotte or Portland as fits, offering second-round picks for Springer’s potential.
Other Contenders for Worst Performer
Sam Hauser was considered due to his back issues and reduced playoff role (4.2 PPG, 37.1% 3PT in playoffs), but his regular-season consistency (8.0 PPG, 41.8% 3PT) and Scheierman’s readiness make him a secondary trade candidate, per Boston Herald. Xavier Tillman averaged 2.8 PPG in 34 games, but his defensive versatility (+5.2 net rating) and minimum salary justify retention, per ESPN. Jordan Walsh (1.7 PPG, 400 minutes) was inefficient but has developmental upside at 21, per NBC Sports Boston. Springer’s combination of poor production, no playoff role, and expiring deal edges him out as the top trade target, per ClutchPoints. @CelticsInsiderX on X argues Tillman’s “intangibles” outweigh Springer’s “empty stats.”
Strategic and Fan Implications
Trading Springer aligns with Boston’s need to shed salary and add playoff-ready pieces, especially without Tatum in 2025-26, per Bleacher Report. Brown’s leadership (25.1 PPG, +7.2 net rating) and Pritchard’s emergence (17.2 PPG as a starter) can keep Boston competitive, but depth is critical, per Boston.com. Fans are split: @GreenRunsDeep on X demands a “proven wing” for Springer, while @CelticsPrideX defends his potential, citing his age. Analysts like ESPN’s Shams Charania predict roster changes, with Springer’s trade being a low-risk move to dodge tax penalties, per Bleacher Report. However, Boston’s limited draft capital (only 2025 picks remain) and second-apron restrictions complicate bigger deals, per NBC Sports Boston.
Jaden Springer’s lackluster 2024-25 season makes him the Boston Celtics’ worst performer and top trade candidate. His minimal production, poor fit in Boston’s system, and expiring contract position him as expendable in a financially strapped offseason. As Brad Stevens navigates a post-Tatum rebuild, moving Springer could unlock depth and flexibility to keep Boston in the East race. Will the Celtics cut bait with their young guard, or gamble on his potential? Share your trade predictions below and join the Celtics’ offseason frenzy!