NBA trade deadline season was a whirlwind for Jaden Springer.
Springer, a 22-year-old reserve guard, was dealt from Boston to Houston on Feb. 6, with the Celtics attaching a second-round draft pick to offload his salary. He then was quickly cut by the Rockets, who needed his roster spot after swinging an additional trade, and remained unsigned for two weeks.
On Feb. 20, Springer signed a 10-day contract with the Jazz, and only after that did he finally find some job security. Utah signed him to a three-year contract on March 2, officially adding him to its under-construction young roster.
“It was a lot, but it was pretty cool,” Springer said Monday before the Jazz’s 114-108 loss to the Celtics at TD Garden. “It was fun. Embrace the journey, you know? I’m happy where I’m at, settled in in Utah with the team. A bunch of great players, a bunch of great staff, so they brought me in, showed me how everything goes and got me up to speed pretty quick.”
Springer, whom Boston acquired from Philadelphia ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, said he appreciated Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens’ transparency during the negotiation process. He said he has no ill will toward the Celtics — with whom he won an NBA championship last season — for shipping him out.
“Brad told me when (the trade) was in the works,” Springer said. “He told me, gave me a heads-up that something might happen. I’m happy he gave me a heads-up. I appreciate Brad for bringing me in, letting me get a championship with the guys and be on the team. So I appreciate them. I’ve got love for them. That’s pretty cool.”
After the trade, Stevens called Springer a “bulldog” who can “probably play really well in a rotation in the NBA.”
“Hey, I really like Jaden,” Stevens said at the time. “I think he’s gonna be a good player. I think he’s a good kid. I’m really rooting for him, and I’ll help him in any way I can. And at the same time, we’re pretty deep.”
Springer has appeared in six games off the bench for Utah, averaging 11.2 minutes per appearance. Jazz head coach Will Hardy likes his defensive potential — Springer’s greatest strength during his time with Boston — but stressed the need for him to stay healthy. The fourth-year pro missed three games last week with a back injury.
“I think when he’s been available, he’s given us some disruption on the defensive side of the ball,” Hardy said. “We need better perimeter defense. We need players that not only understand the scheme, but also have some instinct and aggression to go make a play at different times on that side of the ball, and I think Jaden’s done that when he’s been healthy.”
The Jazz upgraded Springer from questionable to available before Monday’s game, but he didn’t leave the bench against his former team. Fellow Celtics alum Svi Mykhailiuk, who received his NBA championship ring in a pregame ceremony, logged 23 minutes, finishing with eight points, four rebounds and two assists.
Though he still isn’t an everyday player, even on one of the NBA’s weakest rosters, Springer said he feels fortunate to have landed in Utah.
“I like this team,” he said. “It’s a young team. Everybody likes each other. It’s good energy. So I’m happy where I’m at.”
Originally Published: March 11, 2025 at 10:18 AM EDT