3 Most Likely Replacements for Brad Stevens as Celtics Head Coach

The Boston Celtics sent shockwaves through the league on Wednesday after announcing Danny Ainge's retirement as president of basketball operations and that head coach Brad Stevens would succeed him in the front office. Stevens will now lead the search for his replacement.

With stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the roster, Boston's vacancy will draw interest from around the league. Here's three possible replacement for Stevens as Celtics head coach.

Brad Stevens Replacements

3. Jay Larranaga

Jay Larranaga is an obvious in-house choice to carry on the torch from Stevens in Boston. He's been an assistant with the Celtics since 2012 and even interviewed to replace Doc Rivers when he exited as head coach in 2013. Larranaga has drawn interest for other head-coaching vacancies at the college level but has remaind loyal to Boston. His amount experience as part of the Celtics' organization could give him the edge in Stevens' search if he wants a smooth transition.

2. Mike D'Antoni

If Stevens looks for a veteran head coach to take his place, Mike D'Antoni makes a ton of sense. He's been at the helm of championship-contending rosters during stints with the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, which is valuable as the Celtics look to recapture their title-winning glory. His ingenuity on offense could be what this team needs to unlock its full potential around Tatum and Brown.

1. Chauncey Billups

Former point guard Chauncey Billups could come back to where his career started and take over for Stevens as head coach. In fact, he's already rumored to be one of the top candidates. The 17-year NBA veteran has made a seamless transition to the coaching ranks as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers and is drawing buzz around the league as the next former player to possibly make the jump to head coach. The five-time All-Star and former Finals MVP knows what it takes to get to the mountaintop, which is what this team led by the Tatum-Brown duo should being strive for. At just 44 years old he presents a potential long-term option as Celtics coach with an abundance of playing knowledge he can use to lead this team.

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Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.