Danny Ainge on Boston Celtics' Failed Trade Negotiations for Jimmy Butler: 'Some of the Best Trades I Ever Made Were the Ones That I Wasn’t Able to Make'

Danny Ainge reflects on the Boston Celtics' pursuit of Jimmy Butler back in 2016.

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

On a recent episode of the Knuckleheads podcast, former Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge revealed that the Chicago Bulls requested the Celtics’ 2016 and 2017 first-round draft picks for Jimmy Butler. Ainge rejected the idea, leading to Boston’s decision to select Jaylen Brown in 2016 and Jayson Tatum in 2017.

🚨Tomorrow🚨 The OG #DannyAinge pulled up on us and u do NOT wanna miss this 1!! He gets into it all with us!! How different would the landscape look for Boston right now had that deal been made!? We just can never know!! Tap in!! #knuckleheads @playerstribune ✊🏾😎✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/V7lDSdow0B

— Quentin Richardson (@QRich) August 14, 2023

“Some of the best trades I ever made were the ones that I wasn’t able to make,” said Ainge. "I was trying to get Jimmy Butler from Chicago when I was in Boston, but they wanted a lot. And so we didn’t do it. Because it would've… been Jaylen [Brown] and Jayson [Tatum], both those draft picks that we got Jaylen and Jayson with."

During the 2015-2016 regular season, Butler averaged 20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.8 rebounds per game. At that time, the Celtics’ roster included Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder, Evan Turner, and Jared Sullinger.

Tatum and Brown, who both earned All-NBA Team selections last season, have led the Celtics to three Eastern Conference Finals appearances over the past four years. Their partnership is highlighted by an NBA Finals series with the Golden State Warriors in 2021.

Meanwhile, the Butler-led Miami Heat emerged as one of the Celtics’ greatest rivals. Since Butler's arrival in 2019, the Celtics and Heat have met in the Eastern Conference Finals on three occasions. 

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