[1] During the offseason, the Celtics acquired Raef LaFrentz, a teammate of Paul Pierce from the University of Kansas, from the Dallas Mavericks.
The Celtics roster move continued in December when Tony Battie and Eric Williams were both traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ricky Davis.
The team also released Vin Baker, who signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks.
When General Manager Danny Ainge stated that the Celtics would be better off missing the playoffs, the statement seemed to motivate the team as they posted a 9–5 record in March.
The Celtics, despite finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division with a low 36–46 record, qualified for the playoffs as the number 8 seed, making them the first NBA team to reach the playoffs with a below .500 record since the 1996–97 Los Angeles Clippers, who were swept by the Utah Jazz that postseason.