Danny Ainge the executive

[HurricaneDij39]

First and foremost, I want to say I think he belongs in the HOF for his work in the Celtics' FO...

Ainge has been playing cat and mouse with teams for years.

Many assume it was Sam Presti that started the trend of stockpiling draft picks well into the future... Reality was that it was Ainge, who fleeced Brooklyn by trading his aging HOFers for picks that became Tatum and Brown, and had his fingerprints all over the 2024 title as a result.

However, Ainge's most recent move as president of the Jazz may have flashed his pure arrogance...

Last week, he traded three guaranteed first rounders (all in this decade) for the Suns' unprotected 2031 top pick.

To sum it up, Ainge is so confident the Suns will suck at the turn of the decade that he's willing to trade them three picks for one.

It will be hilarious if this all falls flat in Utah's faces if the 2031 pick ends up in the 20's...

 

[tlance]

First and foremost, I want to say I think he belongs in the HOF for his work in the Celtics' FO...

Ainge has been playing cat and mouse with teams for years.

Many assume it was Sam Presti that started the trend of stockpiling draft picks well into the future... Reality was that it was Ainge, who fleeced Brooklyn by trading his aging HOFers for picks that became Tatum and Brown, and had his fingerprints all over the 2024 title as a result.

However, Ainge's most recent move as president of the Jazz may have flashed his pure arrogance...

Last week, he traded three guaranteed first rounders (all in this decade) for the Suns' unprotected 2031 top pick.

To sum it up, Ainge is so confident the Suns will suck at the turn of the decade that he's willing to trade them three picks for one.

It will be hilarious if this all falls flat in Utah's faces if the 2031 pick ends up in the 20's...

He clearly knows what he is doing.

It is a big gamble. Might not work.

But…

The Suns will look even worse if that pick ends up conveying in the top 5.

Worth the risk IMO

 

[HurricaneDij39]

He clearly knows what he is doing.

It is a big gamble. Might not work.

But…

The Suns will look even worse if that pick ends up conveying in the top 5.

Worth the risk IMO

Here’s a trade I would do…
MPJ and Nnaji for Beal and the 2029 Utah pick.

 

[MHSL82]

The Jazz had too many for who they had time to play and weren’t going to use to move up to get a target or trade for player. The Jazz had so many that the whole team could be rookies to three year players. (I’m under the old school definition of 12 player rosters.)

 

[HurricaneDij39]

The Jazz had too many for who they had time to play and weren’t going to use to move up to get a target or trade for player. The Jazz had so many that the whole team could be rookies to three year players. (I’m under the old school definition of 12 player rosters.)

That 2029 pick could be relatively valuable, unless Ainge thinks his team will be good then... Minnesota is mid, and sucked in by the Ant hype. And it's doubtful Cleveland will be nearly as good in 2029 as they are now.

 

[wildturkey]

It's a smart move tho. The Jazz have a bunch of picks and will have a bunch of young players on their roster in the coming years. You actually don't want a team of all youngsters and sometimes having too many picks can be a bad thing. For example, one of the reasons the Nets took the Lakers deal for DFS over Memphis was they already had a bunch of 1st rounders in the draft this year, getting Memphis' late 1st kinda messes them up roster wise. Taking 3 2nd rounders gives more flexibility. For Ainge and the Jazz, he's taking a surplus of picks he already has and turning it into an unprotected pick that could be high lottery at a time when the Jazz could be entering their prime if they win the Flagg sweepstakes

 

[tlance]

That 2029 pick could be relatively valuable, unless Ainge thinks his team will be good then... Minnesota is mid, and sucked in by the Ant hype. And it's doubtful Cleveland will be nearly as good in 2029 as they are now.

Here is the thing though.

Phoenix could absolutely do the smart thing and trade Booker + KD for more future assets and be good again by 2031.

But I don’t believe that is their plan.

If they do what we all think they are going to do?

And unload those picks to get Beal off their books and complete a Jimmy Butler trade?

What are the odds that they will be anything but terrible by 2031.

All their picks are gone. Booker, KD and Butler will be long gone by then.

It is a wise gamble.

It is up to Phoenix to be smart.

Don’t believe they will be.

 

[Gman]

It's a good bet by Ainge.

Furthermore, it's the type of bet a franchise like Utah has to make. Simply put: they're not a preferred FA destination. They gotta strike big in the draft... and they need to take shots like this.

 

[shopson67]

It's a good bet by Ainge.

Furthermore, it's the type of bet a franchise like Utah has to make. Simply put: they're not a preferred FA destination. They gotta strike big in the draft... and they need to take shots like this.

It's a good bet.

Overall though, what exactly has he accomplished as an executive other than the gift of Garnett from his former teammate? With Utah he's taken a playoff team in his first season to a losing one the past two seasons, but not bad enough to get prize picks. He did get Markk in trade, I'll give him that.

 

[Gman]

It's a good bet.

Overall though, what exactly has he accomplished as an executive other than the gift of Garnett from his former teammate? With Utah he's taken a playoff team in his first season to a losing one the past two seasons, but not bad enough to get prize picks. He did get Markk in trade, I'll give him that.

It was a while ago... but I did create a thread on the accomplishments of Ainge (and Stevens)... at least for the Celtics...

The Architects

It's a dream a long time coming. And that dream was/is a wing heavy roster that emphasizes versatility, shooting and 'switch-ability' on defense. "Positionless Basketball", it was often called. Every team strives for it in the modern NBA. And this is how it actually happened for one team...

sportshoop.la

Danny Ainge:

• 2013 - Traded aging Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in the Nets for a bevy of draft picks
• 2016 - Drafted Jaylen Brown with the #3 pick (considered by many to be a reach at the time)
• 2017 -Traded back in the draft and drafted Jayson Tatum with another #3 pick

 

[shopson67]

It was a while ago... but I did create a thread on the accomplishments of Ainge (and Stevens)... at least for the Celtics...

The Architects

It's a dream a long time coming. And that dream was/is a wing heavy roster that emphasizes versatility, shooting and 'switch-ability' on defense. "Positionless Basketball", it was often called. Every team strives for it in the modern NBA. And this is how it actually happened for one team...

sportshoop.la

Danny Ainge:

• 2013 - Traded aging Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in the Nets for a bevy of draft picks
• 2016 - Drafted Jaylen Brown with the #3 pick (considered by many to be a reach at the time)
• 2017 -Traded back in the draft and drafted Jayson Tatum with another #3 pick

At least 2 of those are just as much the other GMs making bad mistakes. Nets obviously, then the Sixers trading up for Fultz (and the Lakers taking Ball).

Of course, he's been far better than Pelinka, so.......lol.