Fresh off of capturing championship banner no. 18, the Boston Celtics are looking like the team to beat in the 2024-2025 season once again. The defending champions are currently second in the Eastern Conference, posting a solid 20-5 win-loss record. With the Celtics basically running back their roster, it doesn't come as a surprise that the team isn't missing a beat.
But while the Celtics are currently rolling, that doesn't mean that their roster possesses no weaknesses. The reigning NBA champions certainly have plenty of weapons in their fold. However, with a young player like Jaden Springer becoming underutilized, the Celtics could instead turn to a more reliable veteran who should further punctuate the depth of the team.
Springer was last season's trade deadline acquisition, with the Celtics surrendering a 2024 second-round draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for his services. Since then, however, he has played sparingly in the playoffs, helping the team win the championship. Fast forward to today, he has been buried in the Celtics bench. As a result, this makes Springer as the Celtics player who must be traded soon.
Out of the Celtics rotation
There's no question that the Celtics have a deep backcourt. The team already leans on the formidable backcourt duo of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. Furthermore, the team is witnessing the breakout season of Payton Pritchard. With a roster that already includes White, Holiday, and early Sixth Man of the Year candidate Pritchard, it's easy to see why Springer has failed to crack Mazzulla's rotation on a consistent basis.
Springer has only played in seven of the team's 25 games so far. He is also only seeing action for less than 3.5 minutes per game. With Springer basically glued to the bench in favor of the Celtics' proven backcourt, it might be better off for the 28th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft to play for another team.
Another reason for Springer falling out of Mazzulla's rotation is that he has simply failed to live up to expectations. While he has showed positive signs on the defensive end, the former Tennessee standout has yet to blossom since his acquisition at last season's trade deadline. This year, he is only putting up 0.9 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per outing on 28.6 percent shooting from the field.
Jaden Springers' expiring contract

Another good reason that the Celtics should trade away Springer is his expiring contract. With the Celtics trading for Springer at last year's trade deadline, the team took on his four-year rookie contract worth $10.39 million, according to Spotrac. In the final year of his deal, Springer is expected to rake in around $4 million for the 2024-2025 season.
While the Celtics don't exactly have much wiggle room to upgrade their roster, outside of their untouchable championship core and Pritchard amid his breakout season, a young player like Springer easily becomes the team's top trade asset. Springer's youth, potential, and championship experience should make him valuable to rebuilding teams. Need proof? Just look at how Dyson Daniels has fared with the Atlanta Hawks this year. But more importantly, it won't be expensive for other teams to acquire his services.
With an expiring contract and basically keeping him on the bench, the Celtics should make the of Springer's value while they still can. Although the team already has a proven roster, making some minor upgrades should boost their chances to successfully defend their title. In fact, potentially acquiring a championship piece for a non-rotational player should be a win for the team if they can find a trade partner.
Celtics in win-now situation
Speaking of roster upgrades, the Celtics are in a great position to go back-to-back. As a result, they don't exactly have the patience and resources to develop a young player like Springer, making it so that the former first-round pick simply doesn't align with the Celtics' current timeline.
By utilizing Springer's upside and expiring contract, the Celtics can opt to swap the NBA champion for a reliable veteran who can make an actual impact on the court. The Celtics are already formidable from top to bottom with their roster, but adding another proven role player should further extend the gap versus the rest of the league.
It's safe to say that the Celtics are currently the NBA's golden standard. However, with the league's unpredictable nature, the Celtics should take some chances before the deadline to improve their supporting cast, surrounding their proven championship five with quality reserves. While the Celtics are playing well right now, they also have a huge target on their backs that gets bigger and bigger as the playoffs approach.