The success of the Boston Celtics over the years is due to the players and coaches excelling in what they do. But a large part of the team’s success is linked to Brad Stevens as President of Basketball Operations and constructing championship-caliber teams consistently.

In doing so, Stevens earned the Executive of the Year Award for the 2023-24 season. He made franchise-altering decisions that were in the best interest of the team, which led to a 64-18 record (fourth-most wins in franchise history), the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, and an NBA championship.

In his time as President of Basketball Operations, Stevens has made key roster decisions while navigating multiple salary cap aprons and luxury tax thresholds in his five-year span in the front office. The first big decision that Stevens made in-season turned into being the most important for the franchise when he acquired Derrick White at the trade deadline in 2022.

Stevens’ key decisions include bringing back veteran Al Horford, moving on from Marcus Smart and Robert Williams in a trade for Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, re-signed both franchise pillars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to supermax deals, re-signed two key role players in Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, and he named Joe Mazzulla head coach.

Stevens was a great coach, but he might be even better in the front office. He has a firm understanding of the ever-changing landscape of the NBA, how to maneuver decisions, and how to create contracts that are both team and player-friendly deals.

Other teams around the league are catching wind of Stevens’ capabilities sitting in the big chair for the Celtics and according to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Stevens is the top choice for the Dallas Mavericks’ vacant front-office position. It’s worth mentioning that Stevens has been rumored to be interested in a similar position in college with his native of Indiana and with North Carolina as a head coach.

“I’m told that Patrick Dumont, the team’s governor, is aiming high. Among the names on Dumont’s wish list, per league sources: Oklahoma City executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti, Minnesota president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and Boston president Brad Stevens. Cleveland top exec Koby Altman’s name is also in the mix, a source said. Jason Kidd has had conversations throughout the season about transitioning to a front office role, sources say, though the Mavericks appear more inclined—for now—to keep Kidd on the bench to continue the development of Flagg.”

The Mavericks are in this position due to firing former GM Nico Harrison following a shocking trade of superstar Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. Since then, the team turned to Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers until the team finds a legitimate replacement, most likely in the offseason.

Mannix writes that Dallas’ team governor, Patrick Dumont, has his eyes on many of the NBA’s top executives, mostly as an example of the type of executive that he wants. Mannix points out that Stevens isn’t going to leave Boston to join Dallas, but he’s the model.

In 2021, Stevens shut down the rumors of going to Indiana by saying that he is a full-blown Bostonian and doesn’t plan on leaving.

“I love coming to work every day. I love this area. People have been great to us. My family is so happy. And, at the same time, home is home. And that’s why I wanted to make sure everybody understood that means a lot. But no. Just like I said on Tuesday, I’m not. So, I don’t know if I will have to answer that again on Monday, but I hope that people understand that. And people can hopefully appreciate that it still means a lot to me and I hope they hire whoever they hire and they are there for 20 years and kids feel like I did. But I’m not a kid anymore. I’m a 44-year-old Ma–hole. I swerve around others when I’m driving, I eat Dunkin Donuts and I root for the Patriots. I’m, unfortunately, skewed in a lot of ways, I guess.”

Stevens seamlessly transitioned from the sidelines to the front office in 2021 after eight years as the head coach. If anybody understood what the team needed the most, it was going to be him. I don’t anticipate Stevens leaving Boston any time soon.