Danny Ainge can’t stop signing players from his former team.
The Utah Jazz announced on Sunday that they have signed guard Jaden Springer to a multi-year deal. Shams Charania of ESPN adds that Springer’s deal will be for three years.
Springer, who was originally on a 10-day contract with Utah, won a championship last season as a member of the Boston Celtics. Still only 22 years old, he was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft (No. 28 overall) and spent three seasons there before being traded to the Celtics in 2024. Boston then traded Springer to the Houston Rockets at last month’s trade deadline, and the Rockets quickly chose to waive Springer.
A 6-foot-4 combo guard, Springer made 47 total appearances for Boston over his two seasons there (including four during their NBA title run last year). He holds career averages of 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.0 minutes per game with shooting splits of 41/26/80.
The Jazz are very much in player development mode right now at 15-44 (dead last in the Western Conference), so they will take a chance on Springer’s upside. Jordan Clarkson is also currently out with a foot injury, meaning that Springer could work as their fourth guard behind Collin Sexton, Isaiah Collier, and Keyonte George.
As for Ainge, who is the CEO of basketball operations for the Jazz, he notably used to play for the Celtics from 1981-89 and later had a successful run as their lead executive from 2003-21. Ainge has already added a number of former Boston players to Utah in recent years, and Springer has now become the latest.
