Celtics Takeaways from 2022 NBA Trade Deadline

Brad Stevens got busy during his first NBA trade deadline as the Boston Celtics president of basketball operations, and his club is better off for it.

The Shamrocks' skipper-turned-executive brokered three deals during trade season, bringing Daniel Theis back to Boston, landing Derrick White and shipping out several assets, including Dennis Schroder, Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick swap.

The Celtics were already finding their form, as they entered the deadline on a six-game winning streak. The reinforcements have only added to the momentum, and Boston entered Wednesday with what's now a league-best nine-game spurt.

So, what exactly happened at the deadline? Several lessons were learned about this squad, and we'll break down three of the biggest.

Stevens Isn't Afraid to Be Aggressive

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Remember how Stevens' predecessor, Danny Ainge, always seemed to be the runner-up in basketball's big-game hunts? Well, it seems that may not be an issue for the new lead executive.

Granted, Stevens didn't snag a top-tier elite with White, but the 27-year-old combo guard should have drawn considerable interest because of his two-way play, versatility and across-the-board production. He's the kind of player who makes winning plays and potentially brings a roster together, making this a potentially massive get for a club whose performance hasn't always measured up to its talent level.

The Celtics seemingly saw White as the connective tissue that brings the best out of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They paid a premium to pull White out of the Alamo City—that 2028 pick swap is only top-one protected—but he is the player they wanted, so Stevens made the requisite sacrifices.

"Picks are really important assets, so that means they really, really like White," a league executive told Heavy.com's Steve Bulpett. "So they paid a little bit extra to get a guy they really like. He's the guy that they targeted. The Celtics went after him. They ended up getting the guy they wanted."

Time will reveal whether White was the right choice, but the mentality behind the move should excite Celtics fans. If Stevens sniffs out a potential contributor, he seemingly has no hesitation to go get him.

Opportunity Knocks for Boston's Youth

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Boston had many sources of disappointment and frustration in the first half of the season, but one that ranked pretty prominently on the list was the lack of progress shown by prospects Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard.

Both had previously flashed their potential, but neither had been able to secure a consistent role in first-year coach Ime Udoka's rotation.

The door to regular roles could be wide open after the jettisoning of Schroder, Richardson and Langford. There are more minutes available on the wing and in the backcourt now, and in a perfect world, Nesmith and Pritchard will be the players who fill them.

Obviously, Udoka won't just throw unearned minutes their way, so they need to pick up their production to seize the moment. Do that, though, and they can put a positive ending on what had been a sad story.

The Arrow Is Pointing Up

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It's possible—more like probable—the Celtics didn't put themselves in position to contend for the championship this season. Regardless of how bullish you are about the players brought in at the deadline, this group showed enough flaws early on to assume it needed bigger fixes than the ones they found.

Granted, if this group keeps laying waste to the opposition—Tuesday's 48-point takedown of the Philadelphia 76ers was nothing short of surgical—then this tune will change. But assuming the Celtics don't streak through the entire stretch run, they probably don't have quite enough to put another championship banner in the rafters.

And guess what? That's fine. Brown turned 25 in October. Tatum turns 24 in March, seven months before Robert Williams III does the same. This core's best basketball could be another year or two away from manifesting.

White and Theis should still be around to witness that rise. Theis is signed for at least the next two seasons (team option on 2024-25, per Spotrac). White is locked up through 2024-25. While both players will contribute (and already have contributed) to this season's success, their acquisitions offer a chance to take one step forward now and maybe several more down the line.