In 2013, the Boston Celtics sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a couple of first-round picks in 2014, 2016, 2018. Five years down the road, the Celtics are clearly reaping the benefits of the deal.

As reported by David Aldridge of NBA.com, the aforementioned deal is a “gift that keeps on giving” according to a league executive.

“Boston having lottery picks without bottoming out and selecting the right players and having a high performing culture driving veteran with Horford has been critical to their success,” the Western Conference executive said. “The Brooklyn trade is the gift that keeps giving. The fact that Boston is winning with such young players in high pressure situations gives young teams hope.”

The Celtics used their first-round picks to get Jaylen Brown in 2016. And come 2018, they selected Jayson Tatum. Now, the two are some of the most important pillars of the Celtics roster. And due to his superb performance in the playoffs, Tatum's been highly-regarded as the league's next best thing.

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Now that another offseason is coming, all eyes are on Celtics general manager Danny Ainge. Many are wondering if he'll intend to unleash a spate of blockbuster deals in the summer.

As reported by Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, Ainge said that the goal is to make the team better. They'll be ready when an opportunity presents itself:

“I think that we’re always trying to get better, and so when opportunities present themselves, you have to be ready or prepared,” Ainge said.

“Yeah. You know, we’re not going to do something unless it makes us better, and there’s no guarantee that those deals are there.