Cedric Maxwell breaks down why the Celtics “absolutely” can beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals. Maxwell also explains why Stephen Curry taunting Jaylen Brown in 2017 could come back to bite them.
Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics pulled off one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history in 2013. The deal looks even better for Boston today with the C's headed to their first NBA Finals since 2010.
On June 28, 2013, the Celtics sent aging franchise cornerstones Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets along with Jason Terry and D.J. White. In exchange, they received Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Marshon Brooks, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans, first-round picks in 2014, 2016, and 2018, and the right to swap 2017 first-rounders.
Ranking the 15 best Celtics and Warriors ahead of NBA Finals
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It was the haul of draft picks, not the five players, that made the trade a steal for the C's. The 2016 and 2017 first-rounders turned into All-Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Brown, an All-Star last season, is coming off a campaign in which he averaged 23.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the floor. Tatum earned his third All-Star nod this year and averaged 26.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists -- all career-highs. He followed that up with his first All-NBA First Team nod and the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy as Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
Oh, and to put the icing on the cake, the Celtics swept the Nets on their road to the 2022 NBA Finals.
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The legend of the infamous Brooklyn deal will only grow if Brown and Tatum can bring Banner 18 back to Boston. The Finals begin Thursday with Game 1 scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. with Celtics Pregame Live on NBC Sports Boston.