NBA Rumors: Danny Ainge considering stepping down as Boston Celtics' President of Basketball Operations after first round exit
The Boston Celtics could be set for a major turnover behind the scenes during the offseason, including President Danny Ainge, according to the latest NBA rumors.
Despite reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last year, the C's have struggled for consistency this season. Although they have been affected by injuries and covid-19 protocols, their performances have been well off the pace witnessed in the bubble.
After a tough campaign, they ended up finishing 7th in the East and playing the powerhouse offense of the Brooklyn Nets. Aside from Jayson Tatum's 50-point masterclass in Game 3, the Boston Celtics struggled to cope with the Nets' big-3 and crashed out of the playoffs on Tuesday night, losing 4-1 overall.
Less than 24 hours later, and there are already questions arriving about who could be leaving the franchise in the summer.
NBA rumors: What next for the Boston Celtics if Danny Ainge leaves?
One of the changes that could be happening within the Boston Celtics is at the highest level. In the latest NBA rumors, President of Basketball Operations at the franchise Danny Ainge is seriously considering his future with the team.
The story was first reported by senior ESPN writer Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday.
Danny Ainge is a legend at the Boston Celtics. As a player, he spent seven and a half seasons with the franchise and won two championships. In 2003, he returned to the C's as the Executive Director of Basketball operations. Ainge was named Executive of the Year in 2008 after putting together Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to help Boston win another title.
Following that success, Ainge was promoted to the role of President of Basketball Operations, which he has been in since. The 62-year-old is quite a divisive character and has had his ups and downs in the trade market. This year, there was a lot of pressure on the Boston Celtics front office to make considerable adjustments to cope with the top three teams in the East.
Daniel Theis and Tristan Thompson weren't the sort of presences in the paint that the C's needed, however, and they were unable to bring in anybody midseason to help make them legitimate title contenders. Combined with the fact several of their star players were injured at times during the year and went into the playoffs without Jaylen Brown, it was no surprise to see the Boston Celtics struggle against the Nets.
If the NBA rumors prove to be correct, Danny Ainge will be extremely sought after by other organizations given his experience. In the latest news, there have been reports that the Utah Jazz could be interested in hiring him for their franchise. We will have to wait and see what unfolds for the Boston Celtics in the coming weeks.