The Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals to make their second trip to the NBA Finals in the last three seasons. Boston hasn’t won a title since 2008, when the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a six-game series, and the organization has been patiently building around its rising star Jayson Tatum and Eastern Conference Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. .
Coming out of the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks took over the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games and are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011, when they won their first title. Mavs coach Jason Kidd was a player on this team 13 years ago and now has a chance to make it as a coach. Some speculated that the Mavs’ unique backcourt of ball-dominant players Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving would conflict, but the front office did a fantastic job adding complementary pieces around the All-Star duo. Dallas’ playoff run was helped by key trades in February (PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford) and smart draft selections over the past two seasons (Dereck Lively III, Jaden Hardy).
Each franchise had a unique path to building their team. Here’s a look at how key players from both rosters came on board.
BOSTON CELTS
Jayson Tatum
The Celtics selected Tatum with the third pick in the 2017 NBA Draft (Markelle Fultz, No. 1, and Lonzo Ball, No. 2, were taken before Tatum). The 6-foot-1 wing was a top-three recruit coming out of high school and chose the Duke Blue Devils over North Carolina, Kentucky and his hometown school, Saint Louis University. Tatum missed eight games during his year at Duke with a foot injury and averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He was named to the ACC All-Freshman team and was a third-team All-ACC selection before declaring for the draft.
Tatum had a monster rookie season and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. His most memorable moment in his rookie year was poster buried in LeBron James during the Eastern Conference Finals in Game 7.
“I have that picture framed and hanging in my house,” Tatum told Yahoo Sports last year. “It was a big moment for me, especially with it being my rookie year and being in a game like that.”
Tatum is a five-time NBA All-Star, has three All-NBA First Team selections, and won a gold medal for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He has been touted as the NBA’s next young superstar, and overcoming the hurdle and winning a ring will solidify his status as one of the best players in the league.
Jaylen Brown
Brown was the third pick in the 2016 NBA Draft after playing one season at Cal. Since Brown was from Atlanta, Georgia, it was a somewhat shocking decision when he chose the Bears over Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan and North Carolina. The 6-6 guard averaged 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists before declaring for the draft.
Brown was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and played a productive role in his first year off the bench. Brown and Tatum’s chemistry has been questioned over the years, but both players have repeatedly said they enjoy playing with each other and the duo has the Celtics playing their best basketball this postseason.
Brown is a three-time NBA All-Star and has averaged 25.3 points and 6.1 rebounds during the playoffs.
Jrue Vacation
Holiday was part of the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade that originally sent him to Portland before being traded to the Celtics for Robert Williams III, Malcolm Brogdon and two future first-round picks. Holiday, 33, is in his 15th season in the NBA and has been instrumental in moving the ball and leading the Celtics this season, averaging 12.5 points and 4.8 assists per game.
Holiday was the No. 2 recruit coming out of high school in 2008 and played one year at UCLA before being the 17th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, selected by the Philadelphia 76ers. Holiday played four seasons with the 76ers before being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he played seven seasons. He earned a ring with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, where he played for three years before landing in Boston this season.
The 6-4 guard is a two-time NBA All-Star and a three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team this year.
This is White’s third season with the Celtics after spending five seasons in San Antonio. White was an unknown recruit and didn’t have a single high-level division I offered coming out of high school. He grew three inches after his senior year and played three seasons at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs before transferring to Colorado for his senior season. The Spurs selected White with the 29th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
White was traded to the Celtics in February 2022 for Romeo Langford, Josh Richardson and a 2022 first-round pick. He has been the Celtics’ defensive glue since joining the team and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2023 and 2024. White averaged 16.8 points, 6.5 assists, 2.3 blocks and 2.1 steals during the Eastern Conference finals.
Kristaps Porziņģis
Porziņģis, Boston’s starting center throughout the season, has been sidelined with an injury since Game 4 of the first round. He is expected to return to the court for Game 1 of the Finals and may or may not start. Coach Joe Mazzulla said Porziņģis participated in drills during practice and does so on a daily basis.
Porziņģis was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, which came as a shock to every Knicks fan in the building. Originally from Latvia, he played three seasons in Spain before joining the NBA. Porziņģis played eight seasons with the Knicks, Mavericks and Wizards before being signed by the Celtics last summer in a three-team deal that sent Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies and Tyus Jones to the Wizards. Porziņģis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks this season and will be important for the Celtics upon his return.
Horford, 37, is in his 17th season in the league and spent six years in Boston. He has been incredibly reliable in the Celtics playoffs, stepping in as a starter for Porziņģis. He shot 39.3% from 3-point range and made seven 3s in Game 3 against the Pacers.
Horford was the third pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, selected by the Atlanta Hawks, after playing three seasons at Florida and winning back-to-back national titles. Horford is a five-time NBA All-Star, was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2018) and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2008.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
Luka Doncic
Dončić and Trae Young will always be tied after the Hawks originally drafted Dončić with the third overall pick in 2018 and then traded him to the Mavericks for Young and a 2019 first-round pick. The 6-7 Slovenian guard wreaked havoc overseas in the EuroLeague before reaching the NBA. Dončić played three seasons for Real Madrid and was the youngest player, at 18, to be named Euroleague MVP in the 2017-18 season.
Once his NBA career began, it became clear that Dončić was the franchise-changing player the Mavs would be building around. He won the Rookie of the Year award, was a five-time NBA All-Star and was a finalist for the MVP award last season. Dončić is on the verge of averaging a triple-double in the playoffs and has put up 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists during the Western Conference finals.
Kyrie Irving
Irving was the No. 1 overall pick in 2011, selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers after playing just eight games at Duke before suffering a foot injury. He returned to the NCAA tournament and led Duke to the Sweet 16, solidifying his status as the top overall prospect. Irving has been one of the NBA’s best point guards for 14 seasons and won an NBA championship with the Cavs in 2016.
Irving was part of the “Big 3” in Brooklyn when the Nets brought in Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden, but the high expectations never came to fruition. Irving requested a trade before the 2022 season and was finally traded to the Mavs in February 2023. He averaged 26.3 points and 5.6 assists in two seasons in Dallas and scored more than 30 points six times during the playoffs .
PJ Washington
Washington was traded to the Mavs in February 2024 for Seth Curry and Grant Williams and has flourished in his new role. Washington is originally from the Dallas area and spent his high school career at a prep school in Las Vegas before playing two seasons at Kentucky. The 6-8 forward was the 12th pick in 2019, selected by the Charlotte Hornets.
Washington found greater offensive freedom with the spacing provided by Irving and Dončić. He is averaging 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in the postseason and has recorded three double-doubles.
Daniel Gafford
Gafford also joined the Mavs in February and contributed immediately, scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds in his first game. Gafford, Washington and rookie center Dereck Lively II have added defensive presence and rim protection for Dallas this season.
Gafford played two seasons at Arkansas before entering the 2019 NBA Draft. The Chicago Bulls selected the 6-10 center with the 38th pick. Gafford spent two seasons with the Bulls before being traded to the Wizards, where he spent four seasons before being traded for Richaun Holmes and receiving compensation.
During the Western Conference Finals, Gafford stepped up during Lively’s absence (neck sprain) and helped control the paint against Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Gafford also helped set the tone in Game 2, finishing with 16 points, five rebounds and five blocks in 21 minutes.
Derrick Jones Jr.
Jones has spent the last nine seasons jumping from team to team, playing for five different franchises. The 6-7 wing played one season at UNLV before going undrafted in 2016. He played for the Sacramento Kings summer league team before joining the Phoenix Suns for two seasons.
Before arriving in Dallas, Jones played two seasons with the Bulls and declined his player option, ultimately signing with the Mavs in August 2023.
Jones has hit key shots in the last three games of Oklahoma City’s Western Conference semifinals series. He scored 22 points in the playoffs (4 of 6 from 3) and was incredibly efficient on the field.
Derek Lively II
Lively was originally selected by the Thunder in the 2023 NBA Draft before being traded to the Mavericks for Cason Wallace. The 7-1 center has been one of the most impactful rookies this year and a dream pick for Dončić and Irving.
Lively was the top recruit coming out of high school, a McDonald’s All American, and chose Duke over Kentucky, Michigan and Penn State. He had an underwhelming first year in Durham, but was incredible during the pre-draft process, catapulting him into the lottery.
Lively suffered a sprained neck during Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, but returned in Game 5, playing 25 minutes and finishing with nine points, eight rebounds, three blocks and three assists.
