The Brooklyn Nets’ November 2013 deal with the Boston Celtics still hangs over the franchise, and it’s easy to see why.
Brooklyn sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and D.J. White to Boston in exchange for Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks and Kris Joseph.
At the time, the move was supposed to help the Nets chase a win-now roster built around aging stars. Boston, meanwhile, was looking to get younger and more athletic.
What turned the trade into a disaster for Brooklyn was the draft capital attached to it: four unprotected first-round picks, plus a 2017 pick swap. Those assets became the engine for Boston’s rise, eventually helping the Celtics land Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
“The Nets thought they were finalizing a superteam roster, but they wound up building the Celtics' championship blueprint instead.
"Because while Brooklyn wound up getting a single playoff series out of this exchange, Boston constructed a perennial contender (and one-time champion) by turning two of those picks into Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown," Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley wrote.
Tatum and Brown formed the core that carried Boston to its 18th championship, a title run that ended with a five-game win over the Dallas Mavericks in 2024. Brown is now with the Philadelphia 76ers after an offseason trade, while Tatum remains Boston’s leading scorer on a team still in contention.
Brooklyn’s return from the deal never matched that kind of payoff. The Nets have reached the playoffs six times since the trade and have not advanced beyond the semifinals.
They later tried to swing big again with Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, but injuries kept that group from reaching its full ceiling, even though the Nets were one win away from the ECF during the 2020-21 season.
As for what Brooklyn might have done with those picks instead, that part is still just speculation. But the regret is obvious: the Nets took a gamble on Garnett and Pierce, and Boston ended up cashing in.
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The Celtics relationship with Jaylen Brown has been under a microscope ever since the trade chatter started swirling around him, and a new layer has only made the old questions louder. According to NBA writer Chris Mannix, Jayson Tatum later looked back on that period and regretted not being more publicly supportive of Brown while the rumors were building, a detail that adds some texture to a partnership that has long been judged as much by body language as by box scores.
Browns move to the 76ers changed the conversation around Bostons core, especially after a stretch in which the Celtics were also tied to other big-name speculation. Tatums silence, or apparent lack of awareness, during the rumor mill now sits awkwardly beside the public comments both players have made since, leaving the impression that the bond between Bostons two stars was not as straightforward as it once seemed. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Is Showing A Celtics Shift Fans Will Notice
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That trend was on display again against Orlando, where Tatum poured in 32 points, handed out seven assists and kept the Celtics rolling with a strong night at the stripe in Bostons fifth straight win. Pierce also weighed in recently on the teams competitiveness and the Eastern Conference race, adding another layer to a start that has the Celtics looking like a group that can win in more than one way. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Mazzulla Loved What Jayson Tatum Did In Celtics Win
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Afterward, Joe Mazzulla singled out Tatums poise and aggressiveness, clearly pleased with the way his star attacked the game. The free-throw line was a big part of that edge, and it fit with the broader theme of Tatum dictating the action rather than waiting for it to come to him. For a Celtics team looking for that kind of assertive rhythm, it was the sort of performance that stood out beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]