Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was named the 2023-24 NBA Executive of the Year on Tuesday. Stevens received 16 of the 30 first-place votes and was on 25 of the 30 ballots.
The additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday last offseason helped Boston win a league-best 64 games this season to claim the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Oklahoma City Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti finished second. Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly placed third.
According to a few NBA betting sites, the Celtics remain the odds-on favorite to win the championship. Sportsbooks are still showing great odds for the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Timberwolves.
The 2023-24 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year is… Brad Stevens!#NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/3thbqBzgSD
— NBA (@NBA) April 30, 2024
Presti and Connelly each garnered four first-place votes. Presti was on 17 ballots, while Connelly was on nine. New York Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose finished fourth. Rose landed on 11 ballots overall and picked up a single first-place vote.
Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, and Sacramento Kings general manager Monte McNair also received first-place votes.
The NBA Executive of the Year Award is voted on by the league’s 30 executives, unlike the majority of the league’s season-ending awards.
Boston Celtics executive Brad Stevens coached team for eight seasons, helped organization trade for Porzingis and Holiday
Additionally, Stevens went 354-282 (.557) and 392-322 (.549) overall as the Celtics’ coach for eight seasons from 2013-14 through 2020-21. Following the 2020-21 season, the former Butler coach was moved to the front office.
In a three-team trade on June 23, Boston acquired Porzingis from the Washington Wizards after the seven-year veteran opted into his $36 million contract for the 2023-2024 season.
The Celtics traded 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies and sent their 35th pick in the 2023 draft to Washington. The Wizards also received Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala from Boston.
FINAL TRADE DETAILS:
Celtics receive: Kristaps Porziņģis, 2023 & 2024 first-round pick
Grizzlies receive: Marcus Smart
Wizards receive: Tyus Jones, 2023 second-round pick pic.twitter.com/d4nW7tjlhH
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 22, 2023
Memphis then sent its 2023 and 2024 first-round picks to the Celtics. The Grizzlies also sent their 25th pick in last year’s draft to Boston, along with their top-four protected 2024 pick via the Golden State Warriors for Smart.
In October, the Celtics also traded center Robert Williams III and 2023 NBA Sixth Man of the Year guard Malcolm Brogdon to the Portland Trail Blazers for Holiday. Portland received a 2024 first-round pick via Golden State and a 2029 first-round pick.
The NBA will unveil the winner of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award on Wednesday and the Hustle Award on Thursday. Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year will be announced later in the playoffs.