Celtics reportedly considered Sam Presti for GM role before hiring Brad Stevens

Celtics reportedly considered Sam Presti for GM role before hiring Brad Stevens

WEEI By Jesse Pantuosco, Audacy

In the aftermath of their first-round loss to Brooklyn (which did nothing to cool tensions between the city of Boston and its logo-stomping archenemy Kyrie Irving), the C’s underwent a series of sweeping changes, replacing retired President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge with front-office newcomer Brad Stevens, who, after eight taxing years behind the Celtics’ bench, no longer has any interest in coaching.

Wednesday’s shakeup has given us plenty to digest, leaving fans to contemplate the team’s future in the hands of Stevens, a bright basketball mind who, for all his sideline savvy, never quite got Boston over the hump. Stevens, while unproven as a team executive, could thrive in his new role (if nothing else, the 44-year-old seems plenty motivated), though according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, he may not have been the Celtics’ first choice to succeed Ainge.

Per O’Connor, before handing the front-office reins to Stevens, the Celtics “pondered” making a push for longtime Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti, a Concord, Massachusetts native with a bachelor’s degree from Emerson College, where he also played Division III basketball. Presti, who has held his current position since 2007 (a year before the Thunder relocated from Seattle), has done quite well for himself in OKC with this year marking just his third losing season and first since 2009.

That’s pretty remarkable, especially considering the team’s budget constraints and the fact Oklahoma City isn’t seen as a preferred free-agent destination. The Thunder currently find themselves in the early stages of what could be a long rebuild, though the team is set up well for the future, having acquired an ungodly amount of draft capital from trades involving Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and Paul George.

It’s uncertain if Presti would have accepted the job, though it’s probably a moot point now. The Celtics are, for better or worse, Brad Stevens’ team, and will be for the foreseeable future.

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