John Havlicek
Even though the Celtics were the defending NBA champions, they were an aging team in transition. 35-year-old Don Nelson retired as a player, but the key contributors left were aging, namely John Havlicek (age 36), Jo Jo White (31), and Paul Silas (33). The Celtics took steps to get younger in the frontcourt by sending Silas to the Denver Nuggets in a three-way that ended up bringing Detroit Pistons forward Curtis Rowe. The Celtics also traded a first-round draft pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for Sidney Wicks. Wicks and Rowe would provide athleticism, the Celtics felt, and, more importantly, allow John Havlicek to return to a sixth-man role and not log as many minutes as in the past.