The Brooklyn Nets are probably still kicking themselves over a deal they made back in November 2013 with the Boston Celtics. It was supposed to be their big moment, a chance to land some serious star power, but instead, it became one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, literally building a championship contender for their rivals.
The Trade That Built a Rival
Back then, the Nets shipped off Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and D.J. White to Brooklyn. In return, Boston got Gerlald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, and Kris Joseph. On paper, for anyone just glancing at the names, that might’ve looked rough for the Celtics, right? Garnett and Pierce were huge names! But the Celtics were playing chess, looking to get younger and more athletic, knowing those guys were past their prime.
The real gut-punch for the Nets, the part that totally tilted the scales in Boston’s favor, wasn’t the players they got. It was the four unprotected first-round picks in 2014, 2016, 2018, and a 2017 pick swap. Those picks? They became the absolute foundation for Boston’s long-term success.
From Brooklyn’s “Superteam” to Boston’s Banner
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley put it perfectly, saying the Nets thought they were “finalizing a superteam roster, but they wound up building the Celtics’ championship blueprint instead.” Think about that. Brooklyn got a single playoff series out of this whole exchange. Meanwhile, Boston used two of those unprotected picks to draft Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, building themselves into a perennial contender and even a one-time champion.
Those two, Tatum and Brown, were the absolute two-headed dragon that powered the Celtics to their 18th championship in 2024, taking down the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Yeah, Brown’s since moved on to the Philadelphia 76ers after an offseason trade, but Tatum is still Boston’s main man, their top scoring threat, and a centerpiece on a team that’s always in the hunt.
What about the Nets? Since that colossal trade, they’ve made the playoffs six times, but they’ve never pushed past the semifinals. They tried to build another “big three” with Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, remember that? But injuries just crushed their potential, even when they were just one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2020-21 season. Man, you gotta wonder what they could’ve done with those picks instead of rolling the dice on aging stars.
It’s anyone’s guess who the Nets might have picked with those unprotected first-rounders. Maybe they could’ve drafted a couple of their own franchise cornerstones, avoiding years of what-ifs and near misses. Instead, they took a huge swing on Garnett and Pierce, and the consequences of that 2013 trade still echo. The Celtics are still reaping the rewards, and the Nets are left with the ghost of a “superteam” that never truly was, constantly reminded of the championship they basically handed over.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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