1:29pm: The Jazz have officially announced Ainge’s hiring, issuing a press release to confirm the news.
“Rarely do you get an opportunity to come into a franchise that is this close to being a special team,” Ainge told Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). “It’s a very unique opportunity.”
12:48pm: The Jazz are hiring Danny Ainge to be the franchise’s alternate governor and CEO, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The former Celtics executive will oversee Utah’s basketball operations, with Justin Zanik remaining in the general manager role, per Wojnarowski.
Since Ainge stepped down from his position in Boston earlier this year, Utah has been repeatedly cited as a potential landing spot for him. Ainge played his college ball at BYU and is close with team owner and governor Ryan Smith. Additionally, the Jazz have undergone some front office changes in 2021, having reassigned executive VP of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey to an advisory role, which opened the door to bring in someone new like Ainge.
At the time of Lindsey’s demotion, reports indicated that Zanik had essentially been running the day-to-day operations of the front office since 2019. It seems likely he’ll continue to do so, since Ainge recently suggested he’d prefer to join a new team as a “helper,” rather than as someone who works “18-hour days.”
Ainge’s title indicates he’ll be above Zanik in the front office hierarchy, but Wojnarowski says (via Twitter) the two executives will “work closely.”
Ainge previously served as the president of basketball operations in Boston from 2003-21. The Celtics made the postseason in all but three of his 18 seasons running the front office, taking home a championship in 2008. Ainge’s trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen helped lead the Celtics to that title.
The 2013 blockbuster deal that sent an aging Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets for a boatload of draft picks is considered one of the biggest NBA heists of the century, putting Boston in position to land Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in subsequent drafts. However, while the C’s made three Eastern Finals appearances during Ainge’s last few years in Boston, that team could never quite get over the hump, with major additions like Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving not panning out as hoped.
In Utah, Ainge will inherit a roster that appears on the verge of title contention, with Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, Royce O’Neale, and Rudy Gay all locked up for multiple seasons.
Let’s go Danny bring a chip to Utah #gr8saltlake
Did he do a good job in Boston??
Yes he did good job. Not amazing but really good job.
Ainge was bashed constantly because of the stockpiling of draft picks, but IMO he did a good job in the post Big Three era. He landed Kyre and Hayward, both really talented players, Horford too, chemistry, injuries and LBJ dominating the East were against de C’s, and therefore undermining Ainge’s job.
Overall he landed really talented players out of nowhere, almost: Tatum, J.Brown, Irving, Hayward, Horford.
You make an excellent point of LeBron James blocking their path to the finals. Folks with tend to overlook that fact. Me included.
Yikes !! Well here comes 10 years of “pretty good.”
Ummm, with the exception of a few seasons the the Jazz have been “pretty good” for over 30 years.
Ummm…, That’s my point exactly. They just ruined their chance to get over the top. Here Comes 10 more years of being pretty good.
Yes pretty good and then
NOT very good in playoffs
And the yearly drafting of guards, most of whom can’t shoot.
Alternate Governor?
Does Spencer Cox know about this?
What does that title even mean? I might be out of the loop or fuzzy memory but never heard that before.
Owner in waiting? The NBA changed its corporate lingo describing the people who sign the checks.
Ainge lucked into 18 years of being pretty good. He was gifted Kevin Garnett by his good buddy Kevin McHale, and then he was gifted multiple first-round picks for Pierce and Garnett at the end of their careers.
Aside from those two Genie lamp rubs, what has a Ainge done? I’ll give him usually “drafting the right guy” and then the markelle fultz Heist. So two nice moves in 18 years? Not enough to hire as an advisor like teams have done with Jerry West. Just my opinion.
Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford? He gave those guys big, big money so that’s not really a coup in my mind. Not an accomplishment. Heck, I’d even go to a place like Charlotte for big, big money if they offered it to me !! LOL.
Agree, Tatum and Jalen Brown, but then Sullinger, James Young, Giddens, Fab Melo, Yabusele, RJ Hunter… I like the Jazz, hope they don’t let him choose their picks
Gary… does he keep the coach or go after a GSW assistant?
I love Quin Snyder. Think he’s a heck of a coach. Doesn’t mean Ainge keeps him. He probably will because it’s more likely an incoming GM picks his own guy rather than an advisor or “alternate governor,” whatever that is. Your thoughts?
Kyrie was acquired via trade, a good one for the Celtics IMO. acquiring players via signing, even if they are max or near max money guys its still a good job. All those players were offered the same or more money from other teams too, but they chosed Boston. look at Dallas, they were pursuing a lot but not getting no one via free agency.
Im not an Ainge fan, but he wasn’t a failure at all, like some comments suggest. You must compare his work with other GM’s, and he was gettint more talent than most of the others GM on that stint
ElMajesty, Fair enough, good comments. Ainge was absolutely not a failure! Make no mistake about that. He’s just pretty good.
It’s almost like Marty Schottenheimer in football. You hire him so you can get to the playoffs. After that you need someone else to get over the hump. A Phil Jackson type. Those are the only two examples I can think of right now for the two scenarios. Even though I used different sports. Is that cheating LOL?
He did give Isaiah Thomas a chance and that worked out pretty well.
CF, that worked out real well. Plus Smart and Bradley in the back court and that defense, that team was outstanding.
Demotion on is the sad thing for employees
The boss is supposed to please enployees
Wow. Divisive crowd on Ainge. I thought with the way the NBA has changed in the last 20 years, and Boston not being a marquee FA spot, he did a great job. He had more hits than misses, went to 2 Finals, did more with less. He drafted well, brought in good coaches, won most of his trades. I think people are realistic with the standard the held Ainge. He did make some divide comments and moves which hurt his legacy a little but overall if you look year by year, he did fabulous. He wasn’t Riley in Miami, West in G-State or LA, or in New York. I say give the guy his due
oops. *unrealistic w/ expectations on Ainge*
I think Danny Ainge gets his due. He got hired again didn’t he? His opinion is valued enough to get paid for it.
I don’t think any of the detractors here are saying he’s awful or even just average. But I think the Jazz have Championship aspirations so a guy who went to two finals in 18 years may not be the best guy to listen to for Utah at this stage?
Ainge is a solid Tier 2 Basketball Ops guy.
This is probably the simplest and best way to say it.
Thought we had going to be Portland bound.
Portland better move quickly otherwise they will end up having to start “the process”
Yes and also I thought that this is somebody the Sacramento Kings should have jumped on.. but no…, they’re the Kings LOL.
I love how the Jazz are willing to spend money and even create an extra position just to have some thoughts on success and input in the process. Respect the Jazz for it that’s for sure. Doing whatever it takes to manage this short window of being at or near the top of the league and going for it.
Yeah Jazz have been smart making the best out of what they have but not exhausting any options either. they aren’t a free agent destination, but have managed to build around Donovan somewhat without entirely committing to just him. They also haven’t given up to much bring players in contract wise or picks wise.
This is just another good smart person to add to the organisation and hopefully makes them better
“Rarely do you get an opportunity to come into a franchise that is this close to being a special team,” Ainge told Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link). “It’s a very unique opportunity.”
Ouch.
I was going to say much the same thing earlier but then I figured folks would say that Ainge was the one who built the team that was so close to being special. But I like that you caught it.
I thought he retired…
He did get the Celtics a championship though so kudos to him
Surely he’ll be of help attracting talent to Utah which is what this team needs.