A Four-Piece Package Brought Davis to Boston
The Celtics sent Eric Williams, Tony Battie and Kedrick Brown to Cleveland in December 2003 for Ricky Davis, Chris Mihm, Michael Stewart and a future second-round pick. Boston was searching for more offensive help alongside Paul Pierce and chose Davis, a high-usage guard-forward who had not found a stable role with the young Cavaliers. Cleveland acquired veterans it could use around its own evolving group. The inclusion of the pick meant Boston also retained a path to future player development beyond the two most recognizable arrivals.
Davis Became a Useful Secondary Celtics Scorer
Davis played a substantial offensive role for Boston after the transaction, providing slashing, shot creation and complementary scoring. His production as a Celtic, rather than his earlier Cavaliers averages, is the direct benefit from this trade. Mihm brought interior minutes but was traded to the Lakers the following summer in another transaction. Stewart had a much smaller impact. The deal worked because Davis could help immediately while Boston continued reshaping the roster that surrounded Pierce.
The Draft Pick Eventually Yielded Ryan Gomes
The Cavaliers' outgoing second-round right became No. 50 in 2005, when Boston selected Ryan Gomes. Gomes developed into a useful forward for the Celtics, giving the deal a later player contribution in addition to Davis. Cleveland received Battie, Williams and Brown, but those veterans were not the core of the franchise's longer-term plans. Battie's later trade to Orlando brought Cleveland other players; that was a separate transaction whose full return shouldn't be treated as arriving directly through this December deal.
Boston Got Both Immediate Offense and a Later Reserve
The Celtics acquired a productive scorer and eventually a helpful second-round player in Gomes without surrendering one of their principal young cornerstones. Cleveland received veteran depth and more freedom to revise its personnel around LeBron James. That approach had roster-planning value, but the direct incoming player results were not as productive over time. Boston's advantage therefore rests on two identifiable Celtics contributions rather than an inflated claim that every member of the package became a lasting contributor.
Final Verdict
Celtics Win. Boston receives B+ for Ricky Davis's scoring contribution and the 2005 pick used on Ryan Gomes, with Chris Mihm offering shorter-term depth. Cleveland gets C+ for Eric Williams, Tony Battie and Kedrick Brown, who provided more limited direct receiving-team value. The Celtics obtained the stronger combination of immediate playing help and a later useful draft selection.