Why the Celtics held onto one of the NBA’s most coveted assets until Kyrie Irving became available

For months, perhaps no team outside of the Golden State Warriors were in a better position than the Boston Celtics. The Celtics owned a young, cheap, talented core with a treasure trove of draft picks to package into any deal to add star players. At the center of that chest were the future Brooklyn Nets draft picks, the remaining scars from the infamous Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce trade.