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The Blueprint: From Assets to Banner 18 The Celtics' current starting five all have direct or indirect roots in the assets acquired from Brooklyn. The Foundational Duo (Brown & Tatum): Jaylen Brown: Drafted #3 overall in 2016 using a Brooklyn pick. He eventually became the 2024 NBA Finals MVP. Jayson Tatum: Acquired after Boston won the 2017 Draft Lottery via a Brooklyn pick swap. They traded down from #1 to #3 to select Tatum, who became an All-NBA First Team cornerstone. The Trade Tree Expansion (Holiday, Porziņģis, White): Jrue Holiday: Boston acquired Holiday in 2023 by trading Robert Williams III, who was drafted with the final 2018 Brooklyn pick. Kristaps Porziņģis: Acquired in a three-team deal involving Marcus Smart. While Smart was drafted in 2014, his selection was made possible because the Celtics could prioritize guard depth knowing their future wing positions were secured by upcoming Brooklyn assets. Derrick White: Traded for in 2022 using a package that included Romeo Langford (drafted with a pick from the Kyrie Irving trade, who himself was originally acquired using a Brooklyn asset). Why It Worked While the Nets pursued a short-term "win-now" window with aging stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the Celtics used the unprotected picks to bypass a traditional "bottom-out" rebuild. By the time the Nets' veterans left just two years later, Brooklyn was at the bottom of the league, and their top-tier lottery picks were flowing directly to a resurgent Boston team.