The window is open, and Stevens built a team with no obvious weak link.
In the quiet aftermath of a painful playoff exit, Brad Stevens spent a summer making decisions that would either define or derail a championship window. By trading a beloved defender, signing a historic contract extension, and acquiring a proven champion, the Boston Celtics' president of basketball operations constructed a roster that won more games than any other team in the NBA — earning him the league's Executive of the Year award in the process. It is a recognition not merely of transactions made, but of vision held steady under pressure.
- A second consecutive early playoff exit left Boston's front office facing hard questions about whether its core could actually win a title.
- Stevens responded with three seismic moves — trading fan favorite Marcus Smart, signing Jaylen Brown to a then-record $304 million extension, and snatching Jrue Holiday in the wake of the Damian Lillard blockbuster — each one carrying real risk.
- Kristaps Porzingis silenced the skeptics by averaging 20 points and nearly 2 blocks per game across 57 appearances, fitting Joe Mazzulla's system as if tailored for it.
- The rebuilt roster rolled through the regular season at 64-18, the best record in the league, with no obvious weak link from top to bottom.
- Stevens was named 2023-24 NBA Executive of the Year — his first such honor since leaving the sideline — and Boston now enters the playoffs as the team every contender must reckon with.
Brad Stevens spent last summer rebuilding a Celtics team that had just been eliminated by the Miami Heat, and on Tuesday the NBA recognized what that work produced. Named the 2023-24 Executive of the Year, Stevens guided Boston to a league-best 64-18 record — edging out Sam Presti and Tim Connelly for the honor in his first time winning the award since moving from head coach to the front office.
The offseason began with a jolt: a three-team deal that sent beloved defensive anchor Marcus Smart to Memphis while bringing Kristaps Porzingis out of Washington. Skepticism followed, but Porzingis answered every doubt — 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game across 57 games, shooting efficiently from both mid-range and three, fitting seamlessly into Joe Mazzulla's system.
A month later, Stevens locked Jaylen Brown into a five-year, $304 million extension — the largest in NBA history at the time — keeping the Brown-Tatum partnership intact and signaling that Boston was betting fully on its window. Then, just before tip-off, Stevens capitalized on the Damian Lillard trade chaos to acquire Jrue Holiday from Portland, adding a 2021 champion whose two-way versatility filled the final gap in Boston's roster.
Together, the three moves produced a team with depth, versatility, and no obvious weakness. Stevens made these calls knowing that another early exit would have raised uncomfortable questions about a prime that was slipping. Instead, the Celtics enter the postseason as the clear favorite — and their architect has the hardware to prove it.
Brad Stevens spent last summer rebuilding a team that had just been knocked out of the Eastern Conference Finals by the Miami Heat, and on Tuesday the NBA recognized what that work produced. Stevens, the Boston Celtics' president of basketball operations, was named the 2023-24 NBA Executive of the Year after guiding Boston to a league-best 64-18 regular season record — the kind of number that doesn't happen by accident.
Stevens beat out two formidable competitors for the honor: Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Tim Connelly of the Minnesota Timberwolves, both of whom oversaw strong seasons of their own. For Stevens, it's the first time he's received the award since transitioning out of the head coaching role he held for eight seasons and into the front office.
The offseason that earned him the trophy began with a jolt. In late June, Boston engineered a three-team deal that sent guard Marcus Smart — a fan favorite and defensive cornerstone — to the Memphis Grizzlies, while pulling Kristaps Porzingis out of Washington. It was a surprising move, the kind that draws skepticism until the games start being played.
Porzingis has answered every question. In 57 games this season, the 28-year-old center averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three. He slid into Joe Mazzulla's system on both ends of the floor as though the role had been designed around him — which, in a sense, it had.
A month after the Porzingis deal, Stevens locked up wing Jaylen Brown on a five-year, $304 million contract extension — the largest in NBA history at the time. The move kept the Brown-Jayson Tatum partnership intact for years to come, signaling that Boston wasn't interested in a rebuild or a pivot. This was a team betting on itself.
Then, just before the season tipped off, Stevens added one more piece. When the Damian Lillard blockbuster sent ripples through the league and landed Lillard in Milwaukee, Stevens moved quickly to acquire guard Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers. Holiday, a 2021 NBA champion, brought exactly what Boston's backcourt had been missing: a reliable offensive facilitator and a tenacious defender capable of guarding the other team's best perimeter player.
The three moves together — Porzingis, Brown's extension, Holiday — gave the Celtics a roster with no obvious weak link. Depth, versatility, two franchise cornerstones, and a pair of veterans who know what winning looks like. The regular season reflected all of it.
Stevens made these decisions under real pressure. Tatum is in his prime, the window is open, and a second straight early playoff exit would have raised uncomfortable questions. Instead, Boston enters the postseason as the team everyone else has to beat — and the executive who built them has the hardware to show for it.
Notable Quotes
Stevens made bold moves after a disappointing playoff exit, determined to make the most of Jayson Tatum's prime years.— paraphrased from reporting
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does this award matter beyond the trophy itself?
It's recognition that front office work shapes outcomes just as much as coaching or playing. Stevens made three major moves in one summer and all three paid off. That's rare.
Was trading Marcus Smart really that bold a call?
Smart had been the defensive identity of that team for years. He was beloved. Moving him for an unproven fit in Porzingis was a real gamble — the kind that gets executives fired if it goes wrong.
What made Porzingis such a good fit specifically?
Boston needed a big who could stretch the floor and protect the rim. Porzingis does both. He didn't ask the system to change for him; he just fit.
The Brown extension was the largest in NBA history. Does that create pressure?
Enormous pressure. But it also sends a message to Tatum — you're not being asked to carry this alone. That kind of commitment matters in the locker room.
Holiday seems like the quietest of the three moves. Was he underrated?
Completely. He doesn't put up flashy numbers, but he makes the right play every time and guards the opponent's best guard. Teams that win championships usually have someone like him.
Stevens was a head coach for eight years before moving upstairs. Does that background help?
Almost certainly. He knows what a coach needs from a roster, what kinds of players fit together, and where the friction points are. That's not something you learn from a spreadsheet.
What does Boston need to do now to justify all of this?
Win the championship. The regular season record is impressive, but this roster was assembled for June, not April.