Joe Mazzulla shares his thoughts on Xavier Tillman after the Celtics trade for the forward and praises his defensive versatility.
The Boston Celtics made a pair of moves just before the NBA's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline on Thursday.
After acquiring guard Jaden Springer in a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, the C's sent guard Dalano Banton to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a heavily protected second-round draft pick, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
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Banton played sparingly during his brief Celtics tenure. In 21 games, the 24-year-old averaged 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.1 minutes.
Springer replaces Banton as a developmental guard off the bench for Boston. The 21-year-old has struggled on the offensive end (39 percent FG, 21.6 percent 3-PT), but has impressed defensively through two-plus NBA seasons.
Celtics president Brad Stevens made three deals in total ahead of the trade deadline. Before Thursday's buzzer-beater moves, he bolstered the frontcourt by acquiring big man Xavier Tillman from the Memphis Grizzlies.
