Brad Stevens wins 2025-26 NBA Executive of the Year

The NBA announced that Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has won its 2025-26 Executive of the Year award.

This is the second time Stevens has earned the honor, as he also won the award for the 2023-24 campaign, which ultimately ended in a Celtics championship

Stevens became the 12th person ever to win multiple awards.

Not only did Stevens win the award twice in three seasons, but both honors came within his first five years as a front-office member. Stevens transitioned from the head coaching role in Boston to the front office ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

Since then, Stevens has completely transformed the roster two separate times, both with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown at the center.

BSJ Analysis

After falling short in 2022 and 2023, Stevens traded for Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, which ultimately led to Boston bringing home Banner 18.

Then, he traded those same two stars away this past summer in an effort to get under the second apron. In doing so, he still found a way to build a team good enough to land the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, even while also losing Tatum to an Achilles rupture.

His work ahead of this year's campaign included signing Luka Garza, who has become an integral part of the rotation, to a minimum contract. He also landed Anfernee Simons in the Holiday deal, flipping him for Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline. Vucevic has become an important playoff staple for the Celtics.

In addition, Stevens' relentless late-draft work paid off this season. Since taking over as GM, Stevens has drafted the likes of Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and Hugo Gonzalez, all at pick No. 28 or later. Ron Harper Jr., a two-way signing, also looks like a steal for Boston.

Getting under the second apron was pivotal if the Celtics wanted to ensure long-term success. Stevens accomplished that without giving up much draft capital (he traded a second-rounder in the Porzingis deal and another in the Vucevic trade).

Plus, all the while, he managed to keep Boston atop the Eastern Conference.

This season's honor may not have been as obvious a vote as the 2024 title year. Stevens' big trades for Holiday and Porzingis lifted Boston over the hump.

But this year has been a product of all the work Stevens has done since taking over Boston's front office. He's set the Celtics up for sustained success rather than a one-and-done era of winning.