Once the dust from the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline had settled on the day afterward, Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens spoke with the media to shed some light on what the team had done to bolster the ball club ahead of the deadline.

On the Celtics’ decision to trade for Philadelphia 76ers wing Jaden Springer, Stevens emphasized that it was the 21-year-old’s defensive acumen that motivated the deal for Boston. “We had followed Jaden for a while,” Stevens told NBC Sports Boston. “Jaden went from a guy that I was interested in to a guy I was really interested in after our preseason game here when I saw him really defend — like really, really defend.”

“So I watched him a little bit closer. The game against us (in Philly) was an interesting game, I don’t remember that quite as well maybe,” he added.

“But we have been paying attention as we’ve gone into this trade deadline as he’s been playing more, and the matchups he’s had.”

Springer’s game on the other end of the court may be a work in progress. But he is young enough that this aspect of his play could easily still come along in the next few seasons, and has shown flashes of hinting Boston may have just gotten a steal of a deal at the deadline.

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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire