Report: Sixers trade Jaden Springer to Celtics for second-round pick

In another shocking operation, the Sixers are sending 2021 first-round pick Jaden Springer to rival Boston Celticsaccording to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

This comes on the heels of the Sixers sending Patrick Beverly to the milwaukee dollars, another Eastern rival, for Cameron Payne and a second-round pick. Earlier in the day, the Sixers agreed to a trade with the Indiana Pacers for sharpshooter Buddy Hield for three second-rounders, Marcus Morris, Sr. and Furkan Korkmaz. They also sent Danuel House, Jr. and a second-round pick to the Detroit Pistons.

Springer, who recently turned 21, is an athletically talented, if flawed, prospect. His calling card is his defense, as we’ve seen in recent standout performances against the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and the Warriors’ Steph Curry. It was on the offensive end where Springer struggled, failing to develop a consistent jump shot and having difficulty making decisions with the ball in his hands.

Still, it seemed like there was time for Springer to develop here. He won the G League Finals MVP last season and looked like he had a lot of room to grow. Moving him for a second round and then not making subsequent changes is baffling. Moving him to a rival team like the Celtics, who have a penchant for developing talent, seems simply counterintuitive.

So Boston now has a potential Tyrese Maxey stopper waiting in the wings, while the Sixers get an extra second rounder, to do exactly what, who knows. It’s fair to say this has been a confusing and disappointing trade deadline for the Sixers.