Celtics POBO Brad Stevens Named 2023-24 NBA Executive of the Year

[brackdan70]

Brad Stevens might actually be better than Ainge, which is saying something.

Ainge has his moments for sure, but is a bit overrated as a GM

Hey, that's Mr. "Drafted both Tatum and Brown and even tricked Philly into giving up more assets in the process in a completely unnecessary trade" Danny Ainge to you.

Yeah he made some amazing moves for sure but also some duds. Kyrie trade. Hayward signing. A number of marginal draft picks as well. But he did have some great moves and decisions

[Darthlukey]

I don't understand how other front offices don't just blacklist phone numbers from the Boston area.

All three of the deals were interesting and all 3 teams he dealt with are happy to lose for now (rebuilding rather than competing):

White was traded for filler, but also a 1st and a virtually unprotected swap - at the time I hated the deal because of the swap and felt it was an overpay (I was clearly very wrong)
Zinger had some kind of option, so could effectively choose where he wanted to go (little leverage for Wiz to not take something instead of nothing)
Holiday - the blazers had no reason to hang onto a player that makes them better - though they did receive two rotational pieces (admittedly injury prone) in addition to 2 1sts. Not a bad haul for a team that doesnt want to win for now.

Having said all that, GMBS was opportunistic as hell and plays far more fast and loose with future 1sts relative to his predecessor. And perhaps the deals boston offered were the best available on short notice. They moved fast on Holiday

[celticfan42487]

Ainge has his moments for sure, but is a bit overrated as a GM

Hey, that's Mr. "Drafted both Tatum and Brown and even tricked Philly into giving up more assets in the process in a completely unnecessary trade" Danny Ainge to you.

Yeah he made some amazing moves for sure but also some duds. Kyrie trade. Hayward signing. A number of marginal draft picks as well. But he did have some great moves and decisions

To be fair Stevens is trading away mostly the great draft picks and first rounders that Ainge acquired to get White, Zingis, Jrue.

Ainge had some duds in the first round, but Brad doesn't even pick in the first round that's how many first rounders he trades.

Good on him that they've worked out but it's not a long term plan for success, it's a call your shot which usually you don't do for guys who haven't made like 3 out of the last 4 all star games or something ect. As opposed to your Whites, KPs, Jrues of the world.

[Darthlukey]

Hey, that's Mr. "Drafted both Tatum and Brown and even tricked Philly into giving up more assets in the process in a completely unnecessary trade" Danny Ainge to you.

Yeah he made some amazing moves for sure but also some duds. Kyrie trade. Hayward signing. A number of marginal draft picks as well. But he did have some great moves and decisions

To be fair Stevens is trading away mostly the great draft picks and first rounders that Ainge acquired to get White, Zingis, Jrue.

Ainge had some duds in the first round, but Brad doesn't even pick in the first round that's how many first rounders he trades.

Good on him that they've worked out but it's not a long term plan for success, it's a call your shot which usually you don't do for guys who haven't made like 3 out of the last 4 all star games or something ect. As opposed to your Whites, KPs, Jrue of the worlds.

Im wracking my brain here. Which non-boston 1sts did Stevens trade for White, KP, Jrue? I dont count the Grizzlies pick or GSW pick, as Stevens traded Smart for those not Ainge

[RB34]

But he traded Dalano Banton?!???!

[celticfan42487]

Yeah he made some amazing moves for sure but also some duds. Kyrie trade. Hayward signing. A number of marginal draft picks as well. But he did have some great moves and decisions

To be fair Stevens is trading away mostly the great draft picks and first rounders that Ainge acquired to get White, Zingis, Jrue.

Ainge had some duds in the first round, but Brad doesn't even pick in the first round that's how many first rounders he trades.

Good on him that they've worked out but it's not a long term plan for success, it's a call your shot which usually you don't do for guys who haven't made like 3 out of the last 4 all star games or something ect. As opposed to your Whites, KPs, Jrue of the worlds.

Im wracking my brain here. Which non-boston 1sts did Stevens trade for White, KP, Jrue? I dont count the Grizzlies pick or GSW pick, as Stevens traded Smart for those not Ainge

Yeah I don't have the exact break down as I know we always used to have extras and such with Ainge as it was a priority to save up or get value in trades and trade out only for the right type of player, a star.

And with Stevens it seems we trade every first. I assumed there was some cross over there too, but maybe that was only in the first year or so.

And obviously the successful drafted players for the most part that have been traded would have had to been drafted by Ainge because we haven't had a first to draft any in awhile and not much luck with the 2nd round.

It was more of an overall statement of building a team from the ground to contention for the long term, to what Brad has come in and done which has worked out so far (and we'll see come June if it truly has) to taking that pre built foundation and say... well I'm not getting another all-star like traditionally needed to win I'll trade these players and all my first rounders for the semi step up.

Bit off topic by this point but it was mostly commenting on the post saying Ainge is a bit over rated using what Brad's done as an example for the past few years. I think that would be grossly misviewing it but also kudos to Stevens for picking the right non you know traditional every year all-stars to go after and how it's worked out so he deserves the Executive of the Year for that.

[makubesu]

I remember well many people saying he “failed up” to that job. He really shut those critics up.

[xchange55]

It's not many votes, by why did POR get some? Is it mainly for the way they handled the Dame situation?

[brackdan70]

To be fair Stevens is trading away mostly the great draft picks and first rounders that Ainge acquired to get White, Zingis, Jrue.

Ainge had some duds in the first round, but Brad doesn't even pick in the first round that's how many first rounders he trades.

Good on him that they've worked out but it's not a long term plan for success, it's a call your shot which usually you don't do for guys who haven't made like 3 out of the last 4 all star games or something ect. As opposed to your Whites, KPs, Jrue of the worlds.

Im wracking my brain here. Which non-boston 1sts did Stevens trade for White, KP, Jrue? I dont count the Grizzlies pick or GSW pick, as Stevens traded Smart for those not Ainge

Yeah I don't have the exact break down as I know we always used to have extras and such with Ainge as it was a priority to save up or get value in trades and trade out only for the right type of player, a star.

And with Stevens it seems we trade every first. I assumed there was some cross over there too, but maybe that was only in the first year or so.

And obviously the successful drafted players for the most part that have been traded would have had to been drafted by Ainge because we haven't had a first to draft any in awhile and not much luck with the 2nd round.

It was more of an overall statement of building a team from the ground to contention for the long term, to what Brad has come in and done which has worked out so far (and we'll see come June if it truly has) to taking that pre built foundation and say... well I'm not getting another all-star like traditionally needed to win I'll trade these players and all my first rounders for the semi step up.

Bit off topic by this point but it was mostly commenting on the post saying Ainge is a bit over rated using what Brad's done as an example for the past few years. I think that would be grossly misviewing it but also kudos to Stevens for picking the right non you know traditional every year all-stars to go after and how it's worked out so he deserves the Executive of the Year for that.

The only pick involved for White Bostons own and a Swap with San Antonio right. Porzingas and two picks were acquired with Smart (who Ainge is Draft). One of those picks and some players and one of Bostons own picks acquired Holiday…I think I am remembering this correctly.

[zeebneeb]

Brad Stevens might actually be better than Ainge, which is saying something.

Ainge has his moments for sure, but is a bit overrated as a GM

He sent Fontecchio to Detroit, who has turned out fantastic, for Kevin Knox, and a second round pick.

Really poor move.

[Mr_Mojo_Risin]

[Slax]

Yeah I don't have the exact break down as I know we always used to have extras and such with Ainge as it was a priority to save up or get value in trades and trade out only for the right type of player, a star.

And with Stevens it seems we trade every first. I assumed there was some cross over there too, but maybe that was only in the first year or so.

Specifically on the particular topic of Ainge's stockpiled draft picks, to the best of my memory all of those picks were either drafted or traded by Ainge before Stevens took over. However Ainge did leave the Celtics with a full slate of their own future firsts and some good young players, and Stevens traded away a lot of them to assemble the current roster. As far as I remember, besides Brown and Tatum, Ainge used most of the rest of that draft pick stash he had acquired in trades to 1) trade for Kyrie who left for nothing, 2) trade away players he signed on multi-year deals for expirings (notably including trading Desmond Bane to get out of a year of Enes Kanter's salary), or 3) draft players who did not have notable NBA careers (Romeo Langford, Carsen Edwards). I think Aaron Nesmith was also one of the draft picks Ainge acquired in a trade, and he ended up being sent away as young talent in Stevens's Malcolm Brogdon trade.

[jazzfan1971]

I think it is a good pick. But I dislike the narrative for the award in that it only rewards immediate improvements. Sometimes the best moves made don't pay off for years. But I think we should still be able to appreciate long term moves as much as win now moves.

For example, you gotta love the job BK did in trading KD. But the GM that made that move will never get any consideration for this award even if that trade turns into the best trade in 20 years.