The Celtics made one last trade ahead of Thursday’s deadline right at the buzzer, moving Xavier Tillman Sr. to the Hornets. ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report the deal.
It’s their third trade Thursday and fourth overall on the week. They shipped Chris Boucher to the Jazz then Josh Minott to the Nets earlier Thursday.
Tillman was acquired by the Celtics at the trade deadline two years ago in 2024. He played an important role in the C’s winning the 2024 NBA Finals, including guarding Luka Doncic when he did see the court. Tillman averaged 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 14 games (one start) for the Celtics this season.
But Tillman fell out of the rotation this season. He occasionally saw some spot minutes but he was passed over by big man Amari Williams in the rotation. Williams was also promoted from two-way contract to standard roster spot earlier Thursday.
The Celtics currently have three open roster spots to fill after Thursday’s trade of Tillman. However, the main motivation in the Tillman deal was largely financial, as the team was able to dip below the luxury tax line for the season by moving off his salary, along with Minott and Boucher on Thursday. Boston will eventually have to fill at least two of those roster spots but will have a 14-day window to keep those spots open, if they choose. The timing of those signings will be important in order for Boston to stay below the luxury tax line.
