Ranking Danny Ainge’s greatest NBA Trades for the Celtics and Jazz

During a long career in the boardroom, he has found some of the best trades we have seen in the NBA. Whether it be acquiring pieces to contend for titles or making long-term bets to secure the future of his franchise, Ainge has shown an aptitude for landing on the winning side of a deal.

Here are the five best, according to NBA Analysis.

Danny Ainge’s best NBA trades for the Celtics and Jazz

5. Donovan Mitchell traded from the Utah Jazz (2022)

Utah Jazz Receive:

• Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Ochai Agbaji
• Unprotected 1st-Round Picks: 2025, 2027, 2029
• Pick Swaps: 2026 and 2028

Cleveland Cavaliers receive:

When Mitchell’s time in Utah was drawing to a close, the challenge for Ainge was finding a way to win in the long-term. The quality of the picks acquired will depend on how Cleveland fare in the coming years, but Markkanen alone makes this a great deal.

The Finnish star is an All-Star talent and someone who can still improve in a primary role. Collin Sexton also helped replace Mitchell’s scoring, and he spent three seasons with the Jazz.

Only good enough for fifth, but one of two trades that have helped the Jazz rebuild after years of almosts.

4. Trading down for Jayson Tatum (2017)

Boston receive:

• No.3 overall pick (Tatum) + 2018 1st-round pick

Philadelphia 76ers receive:

• No.1 overall pick (Markelle Fultz)

This one could really be higher given the impact Tatum has had on the Boston Celtics in the past ten years.

But there is a more influential one further down the list.

This was a pretty simple, but genius move from Ainge. The Celtics clearly weren’t convinced by Fultz, who was unanimously expected to be the first pick in the draft.

And it worked out. Tatum has an NBA Championship, Finals MVP and four first-team All-NBA selections spanning nine seasons in Boston. Fultz, on the other hand, never reached his potential and now plays ball in the G-League.

3. The Rudy Gobert haul from the Timberwolves (2022)

Utah Jazz receive:

• Walker Kessler, Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro
• Unprotected 1st-round picks: 2023, 2025, 2027
• 2026 1st-round pick swap
• 2029 top-five protected First-round pick

Minnesota Timberwolves receive:

The beauty of this trade is not just the obscene number of picks Ainge got for a player whose stock in the league was not exactly at superstar-level. The Minnesota Timberwolves won’t see this as a loss — Gobert has found a home there — but the Jazz are still winning from the trade today.

Getting Keyontae George at No.16 in 2023, trading Kessler to the Lakers for two more picks and two swaps, and flipping the likes of Beasley and Vanderbilt for more draft capital all make this one of the biggest hauls from a single player in modern history.

2. Kevin Garnett: Trading for a ring (2007)

Celtics receive:

Timberwolves receive:

• Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff
• 2009 1st-Round Pick
• Minnesota’s own 2009 1st-Round Pick returned

Now we get into the gold standard of Ainge business. Two title-winning deals — the first of which was to bring Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett to the TD Garden.

You have to wonder how Minnesota entertained Ainge’s antics at all after this 2007 trade. The Celtics got an MVP-calibre big to put alongside Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, and the results were instant.

The Celtics got their first ring since the 80s the following year, while the Timberwolves faded into relative irrelevance until the arrival of Anthony Edwards. That returned pick in 2009 was used to draft Jonny Flynn — a spot ahead of one Stephen Curry.

1. Building the new Boston at Brooklyn’s expense (2013)

Brooklyn Nets receive:

• Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, D.J. White
• 2017 1st-Round Pick (became Kyle Kuzma)
• 2017 2nd-Round Pick (became Sasha Vezenkov)

Boston Celtics receive:

• Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans
• 2014 1st-Round Pick (became James Young)
• 2016 1st-Round Pick (became Jaylen Brown)
• 2017 1st-Round Pick Swap (became Jayson Tatum)
• 2018 1st-Round Pick (became Collin Sexton)

It’s important to name the picks, because that’s what makes this the best Ainge trade ever.

Five years on from that championship win, the Celtics shipped off an ageing core to the Nets, and made the very most out of the draft capital they received in return.

The players involved at the time weren’t headline grabbers, but Jayson and Jaylen took this team back to the top of the sport. They were conference finals regulars from the get-go, and eventually got to the Larry O’Brien in 2024.

Brown is moving on this summer, but he and Tatum’s journey together in green remains a source of pride for Celtics fans.

Ainge pulled off quite a few masterclasses in his day, but this is the pick of the lot.

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