There’s still a slot available on the Celtics roster. Scal and Chris Forsberg talk about potential buyout candidates that the Celtics should target.

NBA trade deadline roundup: What analysts think the Celtics should have done
Early assessments give Boston’s actions prior to the trade deadline a favorable impression.

Which clubs actually prevailed and which ones lost at the 2024 NBA trade deadline won’t be known for a few months. The playoffs, which don’t start until April, have been the focus of many of the agreements completed in recent weeks.

However, we may also rank teams based on other criteria, such as whether they addressed any roster deficiencies, how much they paid for new players, and so on. Did teams that had a chance to go far in the playoffs strengthen their depth enough? Did lottery clubs that have veterans on contract expirations relocate those guys so they wouldn’t be at risk of losing them in the summer?

And just what were the Bulls of Chicago doing? Were they aware that Thursday’s trade deadline was at 3 p.m. ET?

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To be honest, a number of teams—including the Boston Celtics—were quite busy in the hours before the deadline. This week, they completed three transactions, two of which included players going to Boston.

Celtics Talk: Which opponent should the C’s be most concerned about? The Celtics sign Tillman and Springer. | Watch on YouTube | Listen & Subscribe.

On Wednesday, the first action was taken. In return for forward Lamar Stevens, a 2027 second-round pick (via Atlanta), and a 2030 second-round pick (via Dallas), the C’s received forward Xavier Tillman from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Even though Tillman only scores 6.0 points per game on average, he is an excellent defender who can cover several spots. He has the quickness to guard guys on the perimeter and the strength to handle big men in the low post. Tillman gives Boston’s frontcourt some much-needed depth and toughness.

Just before the deadline, the Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers also reached an agreement. Guard Jaden Springer was acquired by Boston in return for a second-round selection. Although he is still developing his attacking style, Springer is an athletic wing defender. From his NBA debut in 2021–2022, he has only appeared in 50 games. Despite his interesting potential, Springer needs more repetitions to complete his skill set.

In their other transaction on Thursday, the Celtics sent a protected second-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Dalano Banton. Banton was signed by Boston in July. This season, he participated in 24 games for the Celtics.

These are the grades that experts gave the Celtics’ trade deadline maneuvers. Except where specified, all of the deals in Boston are included in the grades listed below.

Kevin Pelton, ESPN: A (deal with Tillman), B- (trade with Spring)

USA TODAY’s Jeff Zillgitt: A-

Sam Quinn, B+ at CBS Sports

Stephen Noh, Sports News: B+ (Trade with Tillman)

Bleacher Report, Dan Favale: A- (Tillman trade), B+ (Springer trade)

NBC Sports’ Vaughn Dalzell, grade A

SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell: A- (Tillman trade)

Is there another trick up Brad Stevens’ sleeve?

In exchange for Lamar Stevens and two second-round picks, the Boston Celtics president of basketball operations made a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, acquiring tenacious big man Xavier Tillman. Still, the best team in the NBA might not be done.

After trading Grant Williams in the previous offseason, the Celtics are still eligible for a $6.2 million traded player exception. If not used, the TPE will expire after Thursday’s NBA trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET, giving Boston incentive to make one more transaction.

The C’s don’t have many urgent roster requirements at 39-12. However, Stevens has stated that he would like to add a “big wing,” and reporter Chris Forsberg believes there are a couple guards available in trade.

What will be the final outcome? Up until 3 p.m. ET, stay tuned for the most recent rumors and transactions about the Celtics and their main rivals.

3:30 PM Eastern Time: Brian Robb of MassLive points out that the Celtics are still able to add a player to their roster.

3:28 PM Eastern Time: The Celtics seem to be done trading. Below is a summary of what they submitted and what they withdrew by the deadline:

Obtain: Large guy Guard Jaden Springer (via 76ers), Xavier Tillman (via Grizzlies), and a protected second-round pick (via Raptors)

Wing Lamar Stevens (to Grizzlies), a second-round selection in 2027 (via Atlanta to Grizzlies), a second-round pick in 2030 (via Dallas to Grizzlies), and a second-round pick in 2027 (to 76ers) were forfeited.

Jaden Springer enters and Dalano Banton exits at 3:10 p.m. ET. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics are sending Banton to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a “heavily protected” second-round choice.

2:55 PM ET: A agreement has been reached! According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics are getting Jaden Springer from the 76ers in exchange for a second-round pick.

2:14 p.m. ET: Danuel House Jr. might be of interest to the Celtics. The veteran wing was dismissed by the Detroit Pistons after being traded by the Philadelphia 76ers, and “multiple contenders” are anticipated to chase him, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Add six former Celtics who were traded on deadline day at 1:05 p.m. ET. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and a first-round selection are headed to the Charlotte Hornets, who will send P.J. Washington to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange.

12:55 p.m. ET: According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets are sending Spencer Dinwiddie to the Toronto Raptors, while Dennis Schroder, a former guard for the Celtics, and Thaddeus Young are on their way to Brooklyn.

11:30 a.m. ET: According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Knicks have added two excellent shooters to their roster: Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, who were acquired in a deal with the Detroit Pistons.

10:50 a.m. ET: Gordon Hayward, a former Celtic, is being traded by the Charlotte Hornets to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has the terms of the agreement here:

Kelly Olynyk is formally off the board as of 10:35 a.m. ET. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Utah Jazz are trading Kira Lewis, Otto Porter Jr., and a 2024 first-round pick to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Ochai Agbaji, the former big man for the Celtics, and Kira Lewis.

9:10 a.m. ET: HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto claims that the Celtics have “gauged the market” on getting “defensive wing upgrades” with a package that would include draft picks in addition to minimum-contract players like Svi Mykhailiuk and Dalano Banton.

Additionally, Scotto provided a short list of names that have been connected to Boston thus far, including big men Kelly Olynyk of the Utah Jazz, Andre Drummond of the Chicago Bulls, Delon Wright of the Washington Wizards, Otto Porter Jr. of the Toronto Raptors, Kris Dunn of the Jazz, and Lonnie Walker of the Brooklyn Nets.

Brad Stevens is scheduled to answer phones on Thursday at 8:45 a.m. ET. After acquiring Tillman, Boston is “likely to make another move” before the deadline, according to Brian Robb of MassLive.

Additionally, our Chris Forsberg believes that the Grant Williams TPE’s preservation portends more to come.

Forsberg stated on NBC Sports Boston’s Arbella Early Edition on Wednesday night, “I’m just wondering if there is another shoe to drop because they kept the powder dry with that Grant [Williams] traded player exception.”