Celtics owner admits to reading 76ers message boards after making trade deadline deal

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck scoured the internet following Boston’s trade for ex-Philadelphia 76er Jaden Springer—and he liked what he found.

It’s easy to assume that NBA players and higher-ups block out all the incessant, online chatter. However, Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck revealed that even he surveys the Internet to find out what people are saying about his executive decisions.

During the NBC Sports Boston broadcast of the Celtics’ 132-122 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday afternoon, Grousbeck admitted that after Boston traded for ex-Philadelphia 76er Jaden Springer, he gauged fan reactions on Sixers message boards. After doing a little reading, he realized that the Celtics might’ve found a hidden gem, or successfully annoyed Sixers fans at the very least, via Tomek Kordylewski on X.

“What I did when we traded for him, I looked at the Philly message boards, and the fans were really quite upset. They didn’t want to see him go,” Grousbeck said.

Why are 76ers fans angry about Celtics’ Jaden Springer trade?

Boston brought in Springer right before the trade deadline at the cost of just one second-round pick. The 21-year-old guard isn’t currently a household name, yet G-League fans should definitely remember him.

During the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, Jaden Springer played over 40 games with Philly’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. In that time, he averaged 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and two steals in 16.8 minutes per game. He scored efficiently, too, shooting 47% from the field in his first year and 49.3% in his second.

Springer’s shining achievement came in the 2023 G-League Finals. In Game 1 of the best-of-three series, Springer notched an incredible 43 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals. The very next game, he helped the Blue Coats clinch the championship with 21 points and nine rebounds and was named the G-League Finals MVP.

After performances like that, it’s easy to see why Sixers fans would be upset, especially since the return for Springer wasn’t much by today’s standards. With the C’s, Springer played in 17 games and even started one last Friday against the Charlotte Hornets. He had 11 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals during the 131-98 blowout win.

Although the 6-foot-4 guard averaged just 7.6 minutes per game with the Celtics, he’s a solid bench addition that could see a few minutes in the playoffs due to his defensive prowess. If Boston faces off against a team with a shifty guard or talented shooter, don’t be surprised if Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla gives Springer an opportunity.

Because the Celtics hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference, they won’t know who their first-round opponent is until Friday, April 19. Ironically, they could match up with Springer’s old squad, as Philadelphia is in the mix in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

The 76ers host the Miami Heat on Wednesday night and if they drop that game, they’ll have to play the winner of the other Eastern Conference Play-In contest featuring the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks. If Philly ends up winning a potential second Play-In game, it’ll earn the No. 8 seed and the right to play the Celtics in the postseason.

Of course, the Sixers would probably prefer to beat the Heat, avoid another Play-In game, and face the New York Knicks as the No. 7 seed. Yet, the beauty of the relatively new pre-playoff competition is that there’s no telling how it might shake out. Just last season, the Heat barely escaped the Play-In before advancing all the way to the 2023 NBA Finals.

As for Springer, he’ll try to help the Celtics in any way he can during the Green Team’s quest for an elusive 18th championship.