Celtics’ Brad Stevens named NBA Exec of Year in vote of peers

The Boston Celtics weren’t supposed to be here. Not this year. Not after everything that hit them last summer.

Didn’t matter. Brad Stevens just kept pushing the right buttons.

For the second time in three seasons, Stevens has been named the NBA’s Executive of the Year. The league made it official Tuesday, and around the league, there’s not much arguing with it.

This was billed as a reset in Boston. The payroll was bloated, the second apron was looming, and Jayson Tatum was coming off an Achilles tear that changed the entire outlook. Stevens pivoted. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were moved. Veterans like Al Horford and Luke Kornet weren’t retained. The idea was flexibility, maybe a step back.

Instead, the Celtics kept winning.

Jaylen Brown led the way. Derrick White did a little of everything. Payton Pritchard kept bringing energy. Then came the role guys. Neemias Queta, Sam Hauser and Jordan Walsh all carved out real minutes on real money.

Boston still won 56 games. Did it before and after Tatum’s return in March. Did it while Stevens quietly trimmed salary again at the deadline and got the team under the tax line.

That’s the part executives notice.m The award is voted on by fellow front offices, not media.

Stevens picked up 11 first-place votes and finished with 69 points. Onsi Saleh was the runner-up with 41, followed closely by Trajan Langdon, Jeff Peterson and Sam Presti.

Bottom line, this wasn’t about splash. It was about threading a needle. Stevens reshaped a roster, stayed competitive, and set up flexibility moving forward.

Around the league, that tends to get noticed.