Why Brad Stevens Believes In Joe Mazzulla, Overachieving Celtics — and more

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A lot of people were down on the Boston Celtics coming into this season.

Their roster appeared severely weaker after losing Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Luke Kornet over the offseason, plus Jayson Tatum to injury. Furthermore, there were questions surrounding Joe Mazzulla following his team's shocking collapse against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

In the months since then, Mazzulla and the Celtics have proven their critics wrong. Very wrong.

Boston's been one of the best teams in basketball this year, going 41-20 with the NBA's second-best net rating. Meanwhile, Mazzulla's emerged as an NBA Coach of the Year candidate.

In a recent interview with Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe (subscription required), Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said he's not surprised by either development.

‘I don’t put a ceiling on us ever’: Celtics president Brad Stevens not surprised his team is playing so well this season https://t.co/djy8cxAdZy

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) February 27, 2026

"I don’t put a ceiling on us ever," Stevens told Shaughnessy. 

Stevens credited his players for banding together and playing great team basketball, embracing their new roles and becoming the best version of themselves on the court. He also praised Boston's coaching staff for helping them get there.

"We like the character of our group. We have some really good players that have been there, done that," Stevens said. "It makes sense that we’d have the kind of year that we’ve had, but it’s taken everyone being all-in and an excellent job by the coaching staff of defining roles. And an excellent job by the playing group of embracing those roles."

Stevens also credited Mazzulla for all his work behind the scenes and getting the most out of his players.

"He’s always been probably more ready than everybody realized. On top of that, you add his competitiveness, his intelligence, his willingness to work, and his willingness to really create meaningful relationships," Stevens said.

The Celtics appear close to getting Tatum back, too, so they might be about to get even better.

More NBA: Celtics' Hugo Gonzalez Providing More Evidence That Real Madrid Is NBA Factory

The Chicago Bears are in the middle of an important offseason where they're looking to bolster the roster, most notably on defense, and free agency provides the first opportunity to do so.

Last offseason, the Bears acquired left guard Joe Thuney and right guard Jonah Jackson via trades before free agency even started. They rounded that off with the signing of center Drew Dalman in free agency to complete their overhaul of the interior offensive line. This offseason, the defensive line needs a similar overhaul, and there are options in free agency, the 2026 NFL Draft and the trade market. General manager Ryan Poles also has some work to do to free up salary cap space, which means some notable Bears could be on the move.

With trade rumors heating up, here's the latest on several key Bears players who could be on the move, as well as an update on Maxx Crosby's trade potential.

DJ Moore

There's been plenty of questions about wide receiver DJ Moore's future with the Bears next season. He's set to have a team-high $28.5 million salary cap hit, and with the team currently over the cap, they need to make moves to free up space. Trading Moore would free up $24.5 million in cap space. But, with that hefty contract, would Chicago be able to find a taker? According to Brad Biggs, the Bears could find a trade partner for Moore and get a Day 2 pick for him, should that be the route they go. But it would also likely require Chicago to pay some of the money owed Moore given that contract.

Tremaine Edmunds

The Bears have granted linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade. It didn't come as a surprise given Edmunds was a strong candidate to be a salary cap casualty, which would free up $15 million in cap space. While many don't expect Chicago to find a trade partner, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler said Edmunds has "strong trade value" and a "decent chance" to be dealt. Fowler notes that the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are among those interested.

Maxx Crosby

There's a growing belief that the Las Vegas Raiders will trade superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby this week, and it's no surprise that the Bears are among the teams showing interest. According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Chicago is "keeping tabs" on the Crosby situation, along with several other teams. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero also believes the Bears would be a fit for Crosby. Pelissero said: "They feel like they're close, they were right there at the end in the playoffs. Could Maxx Crosby be somebody who puts them over the top and elevates that pass rush. I think that would be a fit."

Tyson Bagent

Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent has garnered plenty of trade interest given the weak quarterback market in free agency, and general manager Ryan Poles said they've gotten a few calls. Listening to Poles and head coach Ben Johnson at the NFL combine last week, it's clear Chicago doesn't want to trade Bagent. But they also understand the potential of getting significant compensation this offseason coupled with Bagent's contributions to this team as a top backup to Caleb Williams. According to Brad Biggs, the Bears would probably require a Day 2 pick for Bagent.

Gervon Dexter Sr.

One of the more surprising names mentioned in trade rumors involving the Bears is defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, who's entering the final year of his rookie contract. But Brad Biggs from the Chicago Tribune set the record straight about those Dexter trade rumors. "They're not taking (trade) calls on him. They're not making calls on him." Defensive tackle is arguably the biggest need on the Bears' roster, and they currently have just two under contract in Dexter and veteran Grady Jarrett. Chicago will be adding to the defensive tackle group, not taking away from it.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears trade rumors: Latest on DJ Moore, Tremaine Edmunds, Maxx Crosby