The Boston Celtics have added some frontcourt depth ahead of their playoff run, the team said. The Celtics will acquire big man Xavier Tillman from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for a 2027 second-round selection and a 2030 second-round pick. Memphis also acquires Lamar Stevens from the Celtics in the transaction.
The Celtics receive: Xavier Tillman
Grizzlies receive: Lamar Stevens.
What Trade Means: Boston is the Eastern Conference’s top seed, and has been for several months. However, as the playoffs approach, the team is trying to enhance and deepen its frontcourt rotation in preparation for potential matchups against the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and other Eastern Conference contenders.
Tillman joins the Celtics as a gritty big man who is having a strong overall season (6.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.7 apg) for the injury-ravaged Grizzlies. Boston is currently the league’s top rebounding team (47.5 rpg), and Tillman’s addition should only increase that facet. His shooting percentage is a little low (40.8% overall, 22.6% on 3-pointers), but he has been thrown into a larger-than-expected role for Memphis this season.
Last season, as a crucial member of Memphis’ 51-win club, Tillman set career highs in scoring and rebounding (7.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) while shooting 61.4% overall. In the 2023 playoffs, he increased his scoring average to 8.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 53.3%.
Stevens has played in only 19 games for the Celtics this season, averaging 2.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per game. Prior to joining Boston this season, he spent the previous three seasons with the Cavaliers and was frequently in Cleveland’s rotation during that period.
