Gordon Hayward speaks about how analytics drives Brad Stevens' decisions with the Celtics

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The main reason being said about Jaylen Brown's trade from the Boston Celtics to the Philadelphia 76ers is the analytics telling the story. Many are arguing that Brown's numbers did not match what a star should be like, so the Celtics were right to trade him.

Team president Brad Stevens is the chief decision-maker for the Celtics. Apart from his role as an executive, he is also well known for being one of the best coaches in recent history. Considering the modern era has been driven by analytics, it should not be surprising that Stevens is using it as reasoning.

Gordon Hayward knows analytics are informing Brad Stevens' decisions

Hayward only played for Stevens in the NBA during his Celtics years. However, he was also connected with Stevens during their time as the main Butler University duo. Hayward was the star player while Stevens was the promising head coach.

They both made it to the league, with Hayward becoming an All-Star and Stevens one of the league's best coaches. Stevens has since become Boston's chief decision-maker, leading them to the title in 2024 with the roster he built.

MORE: Jaylen Brown gets blunt about his thoughts on Brad Stevens and the Celtics

Much of that squad had analytics backing them up. With players like Derrick White not being appreciated before he went to the Celtics, Stevens kept finding gems that helped them win the championship.

Now, Hayward is confident to say that Stevens relies on analytics to be a driving force in his decisions. That is why Hayward was not surprised by the analytics not favoring Brown's place on the Celtics anymore.

"I think he puts in as much stock as he needs. I think Brad is extremely intelligent. I can tell you from first-hand experience from playing for him in college and the Celtics... I think Brad definitely looks at the analytics, uses the analytics, and then makes the decision based on that and his gut," Hayward said about Stevens on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

Now, the spotlight is on Stevens after making the blockbuster trade. It was a surprise to a lot of people, especially since it looks like a salary dump trade from an outside perspective.