After several seasons away, Danny Ainge’s association with the Celtics has shifted to fond memories. Now a key figure in the Jazz management, he often looks back at his days with the Celtics with a sense of pride and nostalgia.
While Ainge’s role in Boston was not limited to being an executive, his mark as a pivotal player during their 1980s championship reign is also noteworthy. Holding a leadership position for close to two decades, his impact on the team’s trajectory is undeniable.
During a recent conversation with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles on the Knuckleheads podcast, he was prompted to shed light on some of his most memorable trades. Ainge‘s insight, especially about a potential blockbuster trade, was eye-opening.
Some of the best trades I ever made were the ones that I wasn’t able to make. You know, like I was trying to get Jimmy Butler from Chicago when I was in Boston, but they wanted a lot. And so we didn’t do it. Because it would’ve, and it ended up would’ve been Jaylen [Brown] and Jayson [Tatum]. Both those draft picks … that we got Jaylen and Jayson with, so that was one that like I loved Jimmy and I was trying to get him …could’ve drafted Jimmy late, I liked him even then. But like now, he’d be proving how good of a player he was. Yeah, that was probably one.
Celtics trusted their draft picks instead of going for Butler
The Celtics had chosen Brown as their No. 3 pick in 2016 and recently rewarded him with a groundbreaking contract extension. Meanwhile, Tatum, another No. 3 pick but from 2017, is set for a lucrative deal soon with his impending supermax contract extension in Boston.
Ainge used the picks he would have given up, to draft Tatum and Brown
With Butler‘s notable performance, guiding the Heat beyond the Celtics in the previous season’s Eastern Conference finals, it’s easy to wonder what could have been. Yet, as Boston charts its course around their young prodigies, Ainge’s perspective stands clear: often, the best decisions are the ones you never made.
