Can Jaden Springer show Celtics he's worth a long-term investment?

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.

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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 and showed the defensive tenacity that has already been his calling card early in his NBA career. He was a confident playmaker, knocked down 3-point shots, and harassed opposing ball handlers at every opportunity.

The 6-foot-4 Springer has good size for his position. Getting to hone his defensive talents while working on a depth chart that includes Jrue Holiday and Derrick White can only aid his progress. The question is whether his offensive game could catch up, and at least for one summer game, he showed progress.

The 28th pick in the 2021 draft, Springer played 130 total minutes in 17 regular-season appearances after being acquired by Boston. The Celtics sent the Sixers a 2024 second-round pick that became Adem Bona with the 41st selection in this year’s draft.

Springer is still the second-youngest player on the Celtics’ roster behind only 20-year-old Jordan Walsh (two-way guard JD Davison is eight days younger, too). 

If Springer continues to develop, the Celtics can invest in that development with hopes that he could be a rotation piece deeper into the future. If that progress stalls, his contract offers avenues to ponder more established talent at this year’s deadline.

But Stevens has repeatedly noted a desire to develop young talent that takes the burden off the growing cost of an expensive top five. The Celtics need to hit on picks, whether that’s a rookie like Baylor Scheierman — the first actual first-round pick of Stevens’ tenure — or additions like Springer.

In the aftermath of the February trade that delivered Springer to Boston, some Sixers fans fretted that the 76ers sought short-term financial relief instead of investing in the player. Springer has shown flashes of potential in his limited court time, but Saturday’s summer debut was his first real chance to show his progress.

If the Celtics are willing to endure the short-term financial strains, they could be rewarded with a player who fits their long-term needs.