The Boston Celtics are one of the most illustrious NBA franchises out there. And for almost twenty years, Danny Ainge was the brains behind the team. Ainge built a reputation for making smart trades and keeping the Celtics competitive, even helping them win the 2008 NBA Championship.
But in 2021, Ainge finally decided it was time for him to move on from Boston. Ainge is currently the general manager of the Utah Jazz and has taken up the rebuild of the franchise in his own hands.
However, let’s focus on his time with the Celtics for now. One of the biggest moves that Ainge made during his tenure as a GM with the Celtics was the 2013 blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets. The trade featured the likes of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce being moved to the Nets, and in exchange, the Celtics got draft picks that became Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the current cornerstone players of the team.
Danny Ainge Could Have Traded Jayson Tatum And Jaylen Brown Draft Picks To Acquire Jimmy Butler
Danny Ainge recently sat down for an interview where he talked about his time as a general manager with the Celtics. During the interview, Ainge dropped a nugget about almost trading the draft picks that became Tatum and Brown for Jimmy Butler.
(Starts at 2:02)
Danny Ainge talks Boston Celtics trades, and debunks the Jaylen Brown + Jayson Tatum for Anthony Davis rumors 👀 pic.twitter.com/FCfm6Tv8rJ
— Underdog (@Underdog) February 16, 2023
“There was a situation where I could’ve given away both of those picks to get Jimmy Butler, and so that criticism is fair, like hoarding your picks to get rid of Jimmy Butler. I just thought it was too rich at the time and thank goodness we were lucky, they turned out to be Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.”
Considering the fact that Ainge is talking about the draft picks that eventually turned out to be Tatum and Brown, it is safe to assume Jimmy Butler was still with the Chicago Bulls at the time.
Butler was a good player, and he still is. But Ainge withholding those two draft picks was certainly the better decision. The Tatum-Brown duo is considered one of the best in the league and in the 2022-23 NBA season has helped the Celtics stay at the top of the Eastern Conference.
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