NBA: 5 teams who have improved their stock over the summer

4. Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics finally acquired a star player they’ve been after for years (sorry, I’m not counting Al Horford in this category).

Gordon Hayward might not be in the same tier as a Jimmy Butler or Paul George, but this doesn’t mean the Celtics have had anything less than one of the best summers of any team this year.

Boston was the other team involved in the trade mentioned in the previous slide, where they received the third overall pick and a future first-rounder in exchange for the first overall pick in this year’s draft. That adds what’s likely to be another high first-rounder to the mix of assets they hold.

As of now, Danny Ainge owns eight first round picks over the next four years.

As for this summer, Ainge drafted Jayson Tatum, an elite-level scorer, with the third overall pick, and signed Ante Zizic, last year’s 23rd overall selection.

To make room for Hayward, he traded Avery Bradley and a 2019 second-rounder in exchange for Marcus Morris. Morris figures to be a great defensive-minded player to slide in the frontcourt and make up for the loss of Kelly Olynk.

For a team that had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season, this was another great step forward.