Considering the injury history of Kritaps Porzingis and the age of Al Horford (37), Boston approached the trade deadline looking for more depth along the front line.
They found it in the form of Xavier Tillman Sr., trading two second-round picks to Memphis for the fourth-year center out of Michigan State.
Welcome to Boston, @Rookiedunker ☘️ pic.twitter.com/D5QRPvxZxE
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 7, 2024
This is a quality pickup for the Celtics. Tillman is a bit undersized (6'8") but a rock-solid big man who is a plus defender, blocks shots, grabs boards, and gets steals. He’s not much offensively — six points a game, 40.8% shooting overall, does not space the floor — but he sets solid screens and knows how to play the game. He will fit right into Boston’s lineups, playing off the bench alongside Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta (who is on a two-way contract). Tillman brings legitimate frontcourt depth to a team that needed some for the remainder of the regular season, and he can provide depth in the playoffs if Horford/Porzingis get in foul trouble.
For the record, Memphis receives Lamar Stevens, the Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick and the Mavericks’ 2030 second-round pick. Those picks bring some value for a player Memphis would lose in free agency this summer anyway and wasn’t part of their long-term plans. Of course, it’s one less healthy player on a team that had 13 players out with injuries on Sunday (and has multiple players on 10-day emergency contracts to fill out the roster).
