Boston Celtics trade Xavier Tillman Sr., get under the tax

The Boston Celtics have traded Xavier Tillman Jr. to the Charlotte Hornets along with $3.5 million in cash considerations, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. The move has completed Brad Stevens push to get the franchise under the tax. Boston has also traded Anfernee Simons (Bulls), Josh Minott (Brooklyn) and Chris Boucher (Jazz) in recent days. Nikola Vucevic is the only addition, joining the franchise as part of the Simons deal.

By trading Tillman with no one coming back in return, Boston now has three open roster spots available. They have also converted Amari Williams two-way contract into a full-scale two-year NBA deal. Boston will likely be active in the buyout market as Stevens looks to round out the rotation for the remainder of the current season, and potentially beyond.

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Tillman joined the Celtics from the Memphis Grizzlies in February 2024. Boston parted with two second-round picks and Lamar Stevens as part of the deal. Unfortunately for Tillman, he struggled to crack the rotation, spending most of his tenure with the franchise on the bench. In his three years with the franchise, Tillman played a total of 67 games, averaging 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds on 40.8% shooting from the field.

Tillman will now have an opportunity to establish himself on a young and talented Hornets team. He will team up with former Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee, who is currently the head coach in Charlotte, along with former forward Grant Williams, who recently returned after a lengthy layoff with a torn ACL.

Boston has been busy at the deadline and will now have significant flexibility to improve the roster, both in the buyout market and in the summer. Most importantly, outside of Simons, Stevens has created that flexibility without giving up any impactful contributors from the first half of the season.

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Boston Celtics trade Xavier Tillman Sr., get under the tax