Brad Stevens has excelled as President of Basketball Operations since assuming the role in the Summer of 2021, and now, he has his first piece of hardware to show for it.
The NBA announced on Tuesday that Stevens has been named the 2023-24 Basketball Executive of The Year.
Stevens, who had finished in the top six of voting for the award in his first two seasons in the role, is the first Celtics’ executive to win the award since Danny Ainge won it in the 2007-2008 season, which also happens to be the last time the Celtics won a championship.
At 47 years old, Stevens joins an elite group in Celtics history, becoming only the third individual from the franchise to earn the award since its inception in 1972-73. His name is now etched alongside Ainge and Red Auerbach, underscoring his significant contributions to the Celtics organization.
Following a heartbreaking loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last May, Wyc Grousbeck and Stevens were determined to turn the tide of disappointment. Recognizing the need for change, Stevens spearheaded a substantial overhaul of the Celtics’ core, aiming to break the cycle of falling short despite reaching five Eastern Conference Finals in seven seasons.
The first move came just before midnight on June 21, a little over three weeks following the Celtics’ Game 7 loss to the Miami Heat. Stevens traded the man dubbed the “Heart and Soul,” Marcus Smart, to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team deal that also sent seven-foot-two big man Kristaps Porzingis to Boston.
The Smart trade came as a shock to everyone. After nine seasons of consistent playoff appearances and a trip to the NBA Finals, one of the franchise’s cornerstones was on his way out, marking a drastic shift in the team’s culture and direction.
However, Stevens wasn’t finished yet.
Just four days after the Milwaukee Bucks made a splash by acquiring Damian Lillard, the Celtics responded with a significant move of their own. On the eve of training camp, Boston acquired Jrue Holiday from the Blazers, sending reigning Sixth Man of The Year Malcolm Brogdon, former first-round pick Robert Williams, and two first-round picks to Portland.
The acquisitions of Porzingis and Holiday were further bolstered with championship expertise into the revamped coaching staff, highlighted by the arrivals of Sam Cassell and Charles Lee. Furthermore, the Celtics added Jayson Tatum’s former Duke teammate, Amile Jefferson, as an assistant coach, and Jeff Van Gundy joined as a senior consultant.
The results of these moves spoke for themselves.
Boston finished first in net (+11.6) and offensive (122.2) ratings and second in defensive rating (110.6) en route to an NBA-best 64-18 record, its 64 wins being the fourth-most in franchise history. Forty-two of the Celtics’ 64 wins (67.7%) came by double-digits, with Boston outscoring its opponents by +930 (11.3 per game), setting a franchise record. Their scoring margin ranked fifth-best in league history.
Additionally, the Celtics won the Eastern Conference by 14 games. The 14-game gap between the Celtics and the second-place New York Knicks was the most significant disparity since the 1975-76.
The moves Stevens made over the offseason aren’t easy, especially in the sense of Smart and Williams.
Stevens had a hand in drafting Smart, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Over the course of seven seasons, they formed a strong partnership that saw them reach the Conference Finals three times. Similarly, Stevens fostered a close bond with Williams, whom he guided into the league as the 27th overall pick in 2017 and coached for three seasons.
“Those phone calls, I’ll probably be somewhere else in ten years hiding,” Stevens reflecting on the trades during the team’s annual media day in October. “Those are the hardest phone calls.”
Navigating the path to Celtics’ aspirations isn’t easy, and these tough decisions are part of the process. To his credit, Stevens hasn’t shied away, demonstrating a willingness to shake things up since taking over as President of Basketball Operations for the Celtics, ultimately benefiting the team. Only three players remain from the roster he inherited in June 2021: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Payton Pritchard.
While the recognition of Executive of The Year is undoubtedly gratifying for Stevens, his focus, along with that of the Celtics, remains singular: winning a championship, an opportunity that appears wide open, courtesy of Stevens.
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