Celtics Talk Podcast: Danny Ainge, C's front office ‘one of the top ones' in NBA

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Danny Ainge has made quite an impression on Celtics fans with some of the wheelin’ and dealin’ he’s done as the basketball czar of the team’s basketball operations. 

But how is he seen by others?

“Not only my own impressions but the executives and agents I talk with throughout the league, say they (Boston Celtics) are one of the top ones,” NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson, said on the Celtics Talk Podcast.

Johnson added, “Danny’s reputation in trade negotiations is to always win the trade and I know that first-hand from the 2016 draft night when the Bulls and Celtics were seriously engaged in trade talks surrounding Jimmy Butler.”

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Butler had established himself as one of the better two-way players in the NBA by then, a player whose style of play, on paper at least, seemed an ideal fit in Boston. 

It also offered Boston a mulligan of sorts for passing on Butler in the 2011 draft. 

Butler was the 30th player taken overall that year, three slots after the Celtics picked Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson. 

“The Bulls were targeting (former Providence College star) Kris Dunn in that draft,” Johnson recalled. “And ultimately made that same deal a year later with the Timberwolves (who) were able to get Jimmy and start (their) rebuild.”

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That deal didn’t work out with the Celtics instead keeping the No. 3 pick and using it to select Jaylen Brown, who was having a breakout season in Boston prior to the season being suspended indefinitely on March 11. 

“(Ainge's) resume speaks for itself,” Johnson said. “He has a championship (both as a player and as an executive). He’s obviously hit a lot of home runs in the draft.”

But Johnson acknowledges Ainge certainly deserves his share of credit for the Celtics’ success, the team’s front office and the stability of that group has also been key to Boston consistently being among the better teams in the NBA. 

“It’s his whole front office, his whole structure,” Johnson said. “It’s got a sterling reputation around the league. They’ve been really good for a long time.”

Even their ability to add coaches has in many respects outshined their front office peers, with Johnson pointing to how below-the-radar Boston was when they were able to lure Brad Stevens from Butler. 

“He did in this day and age of social media, that hire … came out of nowhere,” Johnson said. “That was a home run hire.”

Also discussed were the emotional episodes 7 and 8 of "The Last Dance" docuseries, whether the Bulls should have won more than six titles, and much more. Check out the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast or watch it on YouTube.

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