Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump. 

“I don’t feel like I completely solved the puzzle of this team,” Stevens said, “and that’s something that, for the most part, I have always done.”

He also has always felt that he could find the answer to fix a team’s struggles.

“I don’t feel like I found those answers maybe as quickly as I have [in the past],” he said, “and that bothers me.”

Globe:  Brad Stevens looks back on his first season with Celtics

Let’s be honest, Brad, no one was going to solve this year’s puzzle.  Even this guy knows that.  So don’t be too hard on yourself.

I’ll say for the final time this season that I’m impressed with Stevens and the way he was able to hold this team together.  I thought he did a great job with what he had.  And let’s face it, it wasn’t much.

Solving this year’s puzzle was never really going to happen because Danny Ainge basically dumped a bunch of different puzzles onto the table and said “have fun!”  There were a few pieces that fit here and there, but there was never going to be a complete picture by the end of this.

Now comes the process of sifting through the pieces that don’t fit and getting rid of them, keeping those pieces that do, and finding a way to fill in the blanks.

But I love how Stevens thinks, and I’m glad that he’s kind of upset over not being able to do things he was never going to be able to do anyway.  He’s not just accepting it the way we can.   We got what we wanted – a 25 win mess of a team that’s going to get a good draft pick and is in position to acquire some good talent.  Stevens always wants more.

He probably wanted to storm into the league and shock the world with a 40-win team that snuck into the last seed of the playoffs.  For a little while back in December, when Jordan Crawford forgot he was Jordan Crawford for a few glorious weeks, that felt like an actual possibility.

But that’s all done now.  Stevens can go hang out in Indiana for a little while and do whatever it is good wholesome guys with good wholesome families do when they’ve got a ton of cash and a bunch of time to kill.

Don’t worry about the puzzle anymore.  We can’t go shopping for new pieces for months.  So just enjoy your vacation.

Related links:  Herald:  Brad Stevens rates his work   |  Mass Live:  Stevens continues to learn, but Ainge, Celtics convinced he’s the right guy

Page 2:  Joel Anthony will exercise his option

Boston Celtics forward/center Joel Anthony will exercise his player option for the 2014-15 season and return to the C’s, a league source informed CSNNW.com.

Although Anthony isn’t too thrilled with the current rebuilding phase of the organization, passing up a sizable guaranteed salary is not something he’s willing to do, the source explained.

Anthony, 31, will earn $3.8 million next season and become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2014-15 campaign

CSNNW: Joel Anthony will exercise player option

Yeah, that’s not much of a shock.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he got thrown into a trade, though.  $3.8 million isn’t HORRIBLE, and if a team gets to waive a bunch of other players to get out from under another contract, $3.8 million for a year might be just fine.

Remember: All it takes is one team to be willing to make a trade involving any player to make that player valuable.

The rest of the links

Globe:  What the future may hold for Celtics  |  Herald:  Celtics plan:  rest, rehab, and a Rondo return  |  Celtics’ imperfect mission accomplished  |  ESPN Boston:  Celtics still finding ways to help  |  Take ’em or trash ’em, deluxe edition  |  Rondo 13th most popular jersey  |  Celtics bid good riddance to 2013-14 |  CSSNE:  Buckley:  C’s played with ‘a  measure of dignity’  |  Wizards’ Wall, Porter have some extra C’s support  |  Are the Celtics in the best spot possible?  |  WEEI:  Stevens sends a clear message… we need a defensive DNA