When the NBA introduced a new collective bargaining agreement, the Boston Celtics wanted to get out in front of it. They pushed their chips into the middle of the table, acting fast before a more punitive CBA took full effect. The result was banner 18.
The organization doesn't regret the path it chose, nor should it. However, the bill came due this offseason. After consecutive campaigns over the second apron, the franchise needed to prioritize flexibility. That Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon made it that much easier to lean into painful decisions.
That meant saying goodbye to Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis via trade. Al Horford and Luke Kornet departed in free agency. Independent of navigating the CBA, Boston had to make changes after losing in six games to the New York Knicks in the postseason.
On one hand, their roster makeover could have been less dramatic. On the other hand, teams tried their best to make it more extreme.
The Celtics didn't blink when it came to trading Jaylen Brown and Derrick White
Franchises around the Association reportedly tried their best, offering a package of first-round draft picks to pry Derrick White or Jaylen Brown away from Boston.
Not only did that not happen, but the Celtics laughed it off.
"Those two guys are really, really great NBA players, and there hasn't been anything close to serious about trading them," said Mike Zarren on the heels of the draft. The team's vice president of basketball operations and team counsel chuckled at the prospect of parting with either player. "I'm not sure where all this reporting came from, but those guys are key parts of our team, and we're lucky to have them here."
That stance has proven prescient.
Brown has played his way onto NBA.com's MVP ladder. He is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and dishing out 4.9 assists per game. Not only is he producing 29.1 points per tilt, but the former Finals MVP is trusting his teammates, repeatedly making the right read, whether that calls for him to shoot or not.
A prime example of the impact of Brown's leadership was his conversations with Jordan Walsh on the team plane about stepping into the role of defensive stopper.
"We sit next to each other on the plane, so I talk to him all the time," Brown told Hardwood Houdini after James Harden went 1/4 with Walsh as his primary defender in Boston's win over the Los Angeles Clippers. "That's what this team needs, is somebody that can go out and guard your best player every single night. And even when Jordan wasn't playing, I was telling him that guy could be you. And he's got his opportunity, and he's playing well right now. So, he's got to keep that going."
Brown even went as far as to advocate to Joe Mazzulla to give the third-year wing a chance to prove himself in that role. That decision has paid off in spades. Walsh's evolution, which is happening at both ends of the court, is arguably the most important individual development from any Celtic so far this season.
Regarding Derrick White, he has shaken off his shooting struggles and is averaging 17 points and 5.3 assists in 23 appearances. Both would represent career-highs for a single campaign. He is also grabbing 4.1 rebounds, swiping 1.5 steals, and swatting 1.2 shots per contest. It reflects his all-around impact.
Brown and White have helped guide Boston to third in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics are defying expectations, doing so while defeating nine teams with .500 records or better. That's tied with the Orlando Magic for the most in the league.
Seeing how well the team is playing and the encouraging nature of every Jayson Tatum update, unless they got bowled over by an offer they essentially had to accept, which didn't happen, the franchise would be kicking itself if it had chosen to part with two people pivotal to their ability to contend for championships.
Even if Boston hit on the draft picks it got back, what would the Celtics' window to contend look like when those prospects are ready to play a meaningful role in that pursuit?
Fortunately for the franchise, because of the restraint demonstrated this offseason, it's not a scenario the Celtics need to worry about.