Why the Xavier Tillman Celtics trade was a brilliant, low-risk move at the deadline

Xavier Tillman didn't cost very much and is a great defensive option in the frontcourt.

The Boston Celtics have reportedly agreed on a trade to acquire Xavier Tillman from the Memphis Grizzlies, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Celtics had eight second-round draft picks available to trade and provided two to Memphis to land Tillman. Surprisingly, that is even fewer than Houston sent to the Grizzlies in the Steven Adams deal.

Tillman will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and the Celtics inherit his bird rights as part of the deal. This gives the front office a chance to see how he fits in with their second unit and gives them insurance in case either Kristaps Porzingis or Al Horford are injured for a postseason run.

Boston has allowed an additional 2.6 points per 100 possessions when Porzingis is off the floor relative to when he is on, via Cleaning The Glass. That isn’t a massive swing but it ranks in the 73rd percentile among big men.

Tillman currently ranks second-best among all NBA players in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus, per dunksandthrees.com. That is an elite rate even for someone who isn’t getting a ton of minutes per game.

X is one of 14 players (min. 25 GP) averaging at least a steal & a block, and is the only player doing it in under 25 minutes a game.

If he can score even a little bit — the screening is already good, don't know how many 3s he'll take in BOS — this move should HIT.

— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) February 7, 2024

Perhaps the most notable element of his game is his defensive playmaking.

His steal percentage (2.6 percent) ranks in the 98th percentile among all big men, via Cleaning The Glass. That is the third consecutive year he has ranked in the 95th percentile or better in this category.

Although he is a bit undersized (6-foot-8) by NBA standards for his position, Tillman is recording a career-high block percentage (2.6 percent) that rates as above average among centers as well.

Tillman is a fantastic hustle player who is going to dive for loose balls and contest a ton of shots. Even if he doesn’t work out in Boston, his contract will come off the books at the end of the season and it was worth a shot.