Jazz Exec Danny Ainge Had Eyes on Jimmy Butler Trade With Celtics

The now Utah Jazz CEO reveals the drastic move he almost made to acquire the All-Star forward.
Jazz Exec Danny Ainge Had Eyes on Jimmy Butler Trade With Celtics
Jazz Exec Danny Ainge Had Eyes on Jimmy Butler Trade With Celtics /

During Danny Ainge’s extensive time in the NBA in an executive role, many blockbuster trades have come about as a product of his leadership in the front office. Whether those moves be with the Utah Jazz by dealing All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, or his previous team, the Boston Celtics, with the numerous trades that went down during his tenure with the franchise.

Ainge has a reputation as one of the more aggressive, trade-happy executives in the league, but that is mainly based on the moves that have come to fruition. Countless trade discussions and almost-happened deals have surely come across his desk, just like any other GM in the league, more than what meets the eye.

He recently gave fans some insight into one of those scenarios encountered during his time in Boston. Taking the mega-deals to acquire 2008 champion Kevin Garnett and being the source of the 2010s Brooklyn Nets implosion, there was another potential trade that would’ve disrupted the course of NBA history.

In a recent interview with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles on the Knuckleheads podcast, Danny Ainge reveals he almost made a move to trade for Jimmy Butler during his time as the Celtics’ GM.

“Some of the best trades I ever made were the ones that I wasn’t able to make. Like, I was trying to get Jimmy Butler from Chicago when I was in Boston, but they wanted a lot. So, we didn’t do it, because it ended up would’ve being Jaylen [Brown] and Jayson [Tatum], both those draft picks...Like I loved Jimmy, was trying to get him, could’ve drafted Jimmy, I liked him even then.

As told, there was apparent interest in Boston to pick up who was then a 3x All-Star with the Chicago Bulls in Jimmy Butler. Now, with two Finals appearances under his belt with the Heat since these distant discussions, it is clear the eye for talent has always been there for Danny Ainge.

That eye is a major attribution to how the Celtics ended up with two future All-NBA players in Brown and Tatum. Both inevitably top-3 picks in each of their drafts, this would have made for a gold mine of a return for Chicago. So, as good as Jimmy Butler is, passing on this deal would end up being the smartest decision for Boston.

Despite failing to reach the heights of NBA champions in their young careers, Brown and Tatum have a combined regular season record of 296-176 since being a part of the franchise. Four of those seasons ended with an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, with one Finals appearance along the way. Next season looks to be another perfect opportunity for the Celtics to make that next leap as a Larry O’Brien victor.

While Ainge decided to never make this move, it does make you wonder if there is any lingering interest in adding Butler to his team one day. The Heat likely have zero intentions of moving him at this point, but the future of the NBA is always unpredictable. Everything is subject to change.

Danny Ainge always makes his next move hard to predict, but continued diligent decisions in the Jazz front office generate confidence in fans for how this team continues to build a championship contender.


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Published
Jared Koch
JARED KOCH

Jared Koch is the Associate Editor of The Frozen Rope — SI.com's team website covering the Utah Jazz. He's covered the NBA and NFL for the past two years, also being the Managing Editor of Inside The Kings — SI.com's team website covering the Sacramento Kings.