Danny

Ainge

Anderson also notes that guys on the team “‘liked each other more than was reported, but I am not sure there was a belief’ in their ability to win a title.” That speaks to rumors that Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert weren’t getting along in the weeks and months leading up to Gobert’s trade to Minnesota. In his first offseason in the front office, Ainge took out the drywall and floors and stripped a perennial playoff team down to the studs in favor of a complete rebuild with Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Jarred Vanderbilt and a litany of future first round picks at the core. Expect more moves before the 2022-23 season tips off, with guys like Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson all on the trading block. Sexton should see as much volume as he can handle as the go-to guy on a bad team, while Markkanen’s and Vanderbilt’s fantasy stock has risen significantly since joining the Jazz.

The Jazz are looking for a replacement for Quin Snyder and have been linked to several candidates including Terry Stotts, Chris Quinn, Frank Vogel, Johnnie Bryant, Will Hardy and Adrian Griffin. Sweeney has a ton of experience around the NBA and is known for his ability to coach on the defensive side of things.

Ainge was asked if he would like to have a coach in place by the NBA Draft and free agency, but it doesn’t seem like that is the case. “It’s important we get it right,” Ainge said. “We have big shoes to fill. It will be interesting to see how long this drags out, and if Utah ends up with a replacement before they begin adding new players to the roster. The longer they wait, the harder it might be to lure guys to the franchise in free agency, so we will see how long this drags out.

Ainge will oversee basketball operations and work alongside current GM Justin Zanik, who will retain his current position. Ainge oversaw the Celtics’ operations as GM from 2003-2021, prior to which he was a coach with Phoenix, and of course a player who was named to one All-Star team and won two championships. He brings a wealth of experience to Utah’s front office, to put it mildly, and should prove invaluable for a small-market team with championship aspirations.

Ainge was the architect of the Celtics rebuild that began when he came to Boston in 2003 and culminated in a title in 2008, the franchises first, and only, since 1986. Ainge then orchestrated the trades of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn in 2013 which turned into a plethora of draft picks, two of which, turning out to be Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the two cornerstones of the franchise today. The decision comes on the heels of a disappointing season, after reaching the conference finals in three of the previous four seasons. Boston will now turn to Brad Stevens to navigate an offseason that will prove critical for the direction of the franchise for years to come.

Ainge recently made headlines for not backing former Celtic Kyrie Irving’s comments about “subtle racism” in Boston saying that he “never heard any of that” during his 26 years with the franchise. Marcus Smart immediately pushed back saying that he has “heard a couple things” during his time in Boston. The whole situation has just been bizarre and it doesn’t help that the Celtics just wrapped up a 36-36 season that earned them a 7-seed in the east and a first-round loss at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets. Changes are on the horizon in Boston.

Things have been on hold in Boston for a few days, as a significant portion of the roster was forced to self-isolate due to either a positive COVID-19 test result or contact tracing protocols. Wednesday’s game against Orlando was postponed, while Friday’s game between the two teams remains on as originally scheduled.

If the bubble concept is used, participating teams will likely have to pay a $500,000 entry fee to help fund the logistics. That could be an issue for some NBA franchises, due to the money lost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s also worth noting that with the changes made to the rules on two-way contracts, as players can now be active for up to 50 NBA games with no limits on practice time. As a result teams may be less willing to shuttle two-way players to the G-League for extended playing time.

Is this another classic Danny Ainge leak where he pretends to be active? We’ll see, but everyone knows he has the assets to do pretty much anything he wants. In this year’s draft alone, the Celtics have the 14th, 26th and 30th overall picks.

Boston looking to make a move should come as no surprise, as the team is a bit limited due to the number of guaranteed contracts already on the roster. So if there’s a talent higher up on the board that the Celtics believe can help the team immediately, it makes sense to entertain trade possibilities. What will also impact the Celtics’ offseason is what Gordon Hayward, who has a player option worth just over $34 million, decides to do. While Boston’s rotation is young in comparison to many of the other contenders, a team can’t rest on its laurels when it comes to winning a championship.