Inside The Celtics

Brad Stevens Finishes Sixth for Executive of the Year Award

Brad Stevens guided the Celtics through a pivotal offseason and reshaped the roster at the trade deadline, helping the team ascend. Like Kleiman, his decisions could carry more weight with voters in future seasons.

Bobby Krivitsky

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

As voted on by NBA team executives, Zach Kleiman earned this season's Executive of the Year award. Celtics' president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, came in sixth, receiving one first-place vote and the second-most second and third-place votes, giving him 20 points total.

Stevens' most notable moves start with hiring Ime Udoka, who finished fourth for Coach of the Year. Udoka also earned Coach of the Month honors on multiple occasions, making history within a franchise that had three people who previously held the position named to the list of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History, primarily for their work with the Celtics. That list, by the way, does not include Hall of Fame coach Tommy Heinsohn.

Stevens also inked Marcus Smart (four years, $76.5 million) and Robert Williams (four years, $48 million) to extensions that don't break the bank. The latter is particularly team-friendly.

Stevens' decision not to re-sign Evan Fournier also proved wise, despite Fournier torching the Celtics on multiple occasions. He also brought back Al Horford in a deal that sent Kemba Walker to the Thunder before Walker went home to New York.

Danny Ainge's successor also repeatedly reinforced the franchise had no interest in breaking up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. And at the trade deadline, Stevens' reshaping of the roster helped Boston ascend, moving on from players such as Enes Freedom and Dennis Schroder to find better fits like Derrick White and Daniel Theis.

Further Reading

The Top 5 Plays from Game 5 Between the Celtics and Bucks

What Stood Out from Game 5: Bucks Rally, Hand Celtics Crushing Loss, Putting Boston on Brink of Elimination

Despite late flare-up, Marcus Smart says: 'The quad is good; I won't be missing any more games because of it'

What Stood Out in Game 4's Win: Celtics' Character on Display as They Rally to Tie the Series

[Film Room] What Led to Jayson Tatum's Struggles in Game 3 and How the Celtics Get Him Going in Game 4

One-on-One with Cameron Look on His Improbable Journey to Designing Jayson Tatum's Jordans

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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