Celtics had the best offseason in the NBA, according to coaches and executives

Celtics

Jayson Tatum also received votes for the NBA’s best player in five years.

The Celtics put together an impressive offseason, and the rest of the league took notice.

In a recent poll conducted by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, the Celtics were voted the team with the best offseason by a number of coaches, executives and scouts. They received six votes, while the 76ers and Jazz checked in tied at second with two votes apiece.

The case for the Celtics’ offseason is easy to make. Last season, they made the NBA Finals thanks to the stardom of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with major contributions from Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, Al Horford, Grant Williams, and Derrick White.

The biggest problem? Bench depth, especially from scoring guards. This offseason, the Celtics managed to acquire Malcolm Brogdon from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for a package that did not include any of their top players. They also acquired Danilo Gallinari using their taxpayer mid-level exception — a shooter who can help space the floor for their stars.

For nearly a month, the Celtics were enveloped in Kevin Durant trade rumors, but they publicly expressed very little interest in discussing anything related to Durant. Those trade rumors seemed to stem more from the Nets, who needed a player like Jaylen Brown involved in order to drive up the price for Durant. Ultimately, Durant and the Nets managed to work through their differences (for now). Despite missing out on Durant (or maybe because they kept Brown), the Celtics remained at the top of this list.

Jayson Tatum also received two votes as the player most likely to be the best in the NBA in five years. He came in third behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic.