The Boston Celtics are coming off an extremely disappointing season that ended with them being dominated by the Brooklyn Nets, and a massive change could be coming to their organization this offseason.
Longtime general manager and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is contemplating his future and will consider stepping down, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Ainge has been a part of Boston’s front office for nearly 20 years. He was first hired as the executive director of basketball operations for the team in 2003. He has a long history with the franchise, as he also played for the Celtics from 1981-1989. Ainge has won two NBA titles as a player in Boston and one as an executive.
Ainge is known for being one of the most aggressive GMs in basketball, hence his nickname “Trader Danny.” He has both traded and acquired a number of star players over the years, most notably when he brought Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to Boston prior to the 2007-08 season. The Celtics won their last championship that year.
There had been talk that Brad Stevens could be on the hot seat following a rough year, but Ainge has repeatedly defended the Celtics coach. Perhaps Ainge is placing most of the blame for the team’s struggles on himself and feels he has not done a good enough job with roster construction.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reports that Ainge is expected to pursue opportunities elsewhere if he does leave the Celtics.
Ainge’s decision to select Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum with the No. 3 overall pick in back-to-back drafts has drawn high praise. The Celtics also managed to land Kemba Walker in free agency two years ago, but he has not been able to stay healthy.
There have been some questions about how Ainge and the Celtics handle injured players. He is still viewed as one of the top executives in the league, however, and would likely have no trouble finding a job with another team.
