In 2013, Boston traded Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn for four first-round picks, then turned that return into Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Thirteen years later, the Celtics traded Brown himself to Philadelphia, receiving Paul George plus four more picks in the deal.
Boston has now closed a superstar era with a pick haul twice.
The 2013 trade sent Garnett and Pierce to Brooklyn and brought back four first-round picks; two of them became Brown, drafted in 2016, and Tatum, drafted in 2017. The Jays reached the 2022 Finals and won the 18th championship in 2024. This September, Boston sent Brown to Philadelphia and received Paul George plus four picks, two firsts and two seconds, in return. Tatum is the one player who has now stood on both ends of that math, the return in one trade and the trigger in the next.
This date once marked the start of Boston's rivalry with Miami.
On September 23, 2020, in the bubble playoffs, the Celtics lost to the Heat, 109-112. Miami eliminated Boston again in the 2023 conference finals, a rivalry that predates this year's rawer one with Philadelphia, the team now on the other side of the Brown trade. No opponent is set yet for this season, but Miami has already closed two of Boston's last six years.
Eighteen banners is the number that separates Boston from everyone but its oldest rival.
The Celtics hold 18 championships, an NBA record, one ahead of the Lakers' 17, the gap that turns a permanent banner count into a live argument every time the two meet. Tatum, George and Derrick White are chasing a 19th on a payroll of $203.9M, above the $200.4M luxury tax line. Tatum played 16 games last season; George played 37. Neither total is a full year, and a 19th banner needs more from both than last season gave.
Why did the Celtics trade Jaylen Brown?
Boston sent Brown to Philadelphia and received Paul George plus four draft picks in return, ending the partnership with Tatum that began with the 2013 trade of Garnett and Pierce for picks. Boston.com reported that Brad Stevens has since explained the front office's reasoning.
What happened to the Celtics on September 23 in a past season?
In 2020, Boston lost to Miami 109-112 in the NBA bubble playoffs. It is the only recorded game for this date, part of a rivalry that also ended Boston's 2023 season.
More from The Parquet Report
all Celtics news →
By the numbers · Wed, Sep 23By the Numbers: What Boston Is Paying to Find Out
Morning · Wed, Sep 23Last Season's Best Lineup Left Town With Jaylen Brown
Rumor check · Tue, Sep 22Rumor Check: The Reports With Numbers, and the Names Without
Cap watch · Tue, Sep 22Cap Watch: This Summer's Bill, Next Summer's Decisions
Morning · Tue, Sep 22Shulga Is Gone, and So Is the Lineup That Worked Best
Around the beat · Mon, Sep 21What the Beat Is Debating as Camp Opens