brad stevens won the NBA’s Executive of the Year award for the second time in three years, adding the honor after earning it in 2024. The Celtics president of basketball operations became the 12th individual to win the award more than once.
Stevens and the Celtics
Stevens received 11 of 28 possible first-place votes and finished with 69 total points. Onsi Saleh appeared on 17 ballots and finished with 41 points, while Trajan Langdon received six first-place votes and 40 points, Jeff Peterson earned five first-place votes and 37 points, Sam Presti got three first-place votes and 25 points, and Brian Wright received the remaining two first-place votes.
The award went to Stevens after a season in which the Celtics stayed competitive through major roster changes. The team was widely expected to face a gap year in the 2025/26 season after operating above the second tax apron and aiming to cut salary.
Boston's roster moves
Last offseason, Stevens traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis and allowed Luke Kornet and Al Horford to leave in free agency. He then made another round of financially motivated moves at the trade deadline to push Boston’s team salary below the luxury tax line.
Those decisions came after Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles during the 2025 playoffs, yet the Celtics still won 56 regular season games. The club remained competitive before and after Tatum returned in March.
NBA general managers
The award is decided by NBA general managers rather than media members, which set Stevens apart in a vote driven by team executives. His second win in three years placed him among a small group of repeat winners while Boston finished the season with fewer costs and a still-winning record.
For the Celtics, the result leaves Stevens with the same mandate that shaped the season he just won for: keep the roster competitive while working under tighter financial limits.
