Revisiting the Celtics-Nets trade: How Paul Pierce deal paved way for 2022 Finals run

The Celtics’ run to the 2022 NBA Finals is nine years in the making.

Let’s rewind to the beginning of June 2013 — Jayson Tatum was 15 years old, Jaylen Brown was 16 years old and Paul Pierce had just wrapped his 15th season with the Celtics franchise. Weeks later, one draft-night trade would bring an end to an era while planting seeds for the future of two high schoolers.

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In just nine short years, the Celtics are on the cusp of turning that franchise-altering trade into the 18th championship in franchise history.

Look back at how one trade on June 27, 2013, has had a direct impact on the 2022 NBA Finals.

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Revisiting the Celtics-Nets trade: How Paul Pierce deal paved way for 2022 Finals run

The 2012-13 NBA season was an interesting one. The Nets were in their first season in Brooklyn and the Celtics were coming off of a heartbreaking loss to the Heat in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals.

Brooklyn finished the season with a 49-33 record and the East’s fourth seed while Boston finished seventh with a 41-40 record. (The Celtics’ season finale was canceled in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing.)

Both the Nets and Celtics were eliminated in the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs, signifying that it was time for a change. Brooklyn’s front office was ready to win immediately, while Boston was ready to rebuild, paving the way for a blockbuster trade.

2013 Celtics-Nets trade details

• Nets received: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, D.J. White
• Celtics received: Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Kris Joseph, Gerald Wallace, 2014 first-round pick, 2016 first-round pick, right to swap 2017 first-round picks, 2018 first-round pick

In addition to the five active players, Boston received four future picks from Brooklyn. As the Nets’ success with their new core was short-lived, the franchise was soon among the league’s worst, making the picks very valuable commodities.

• 2016: After the Nets finish with a 21-61 record, the Celtics select Jaylen Brown with the third pick in the 2016 NBA Draft
• 2017: The Nets finish with a 20-62 record and the Celtics exercise their right to a pick swap, winning the No. 1 overall pick. Boston would trade down to No. 3, where it selected Jayson Tatum.
• 2018: The Nets finish 28-54 and the Celtics win the No. 8 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. That pick is rerouted to Cleveland as part of the trade that made Kyrie Irving a Celtic.

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Celtics and Nets since 2013

In the years since making the trade, the Celtics have missed the playoffs just once and have made four appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals and one trip to the NBA Finals. The Nets have missed the playoffs three times and won just two playoff series.