Jazz hire Ainge's son away from C's as president

The Utah Jazz person hired Austin Ainge distant from the Boston Celtics arsenic the team's president of hoops operations, it was announced Monday.

Utah's existent wide manager, Justin Zanik, volition stay successful his relation aft Ainge's arrival, sources told ESPN, and the 2 volition enactment unneurotic moving forward.

"We're perfectly thrilled to invited Austin Ainge arsenic our caller president of hoops operations," squad politician Ryan Smith said successful a statement. "Austin is 1 of the brightest minds successful the NBA -- his 17 years with the Celtics person fixed him unthinkable penetration into each portion of an organization.

"... I've watched him turn into an accomplished, innovative and strategical hoops enforcement who's acceptable to pb this organization."

It's the 2nd large determination Utah has made disconnected the tribunal successful the past respective weeks, aft the Jazz locked up manager Will Hardy to a semipermanent declaration hold past period that runs done 2031.

Ainge, 43, has been with the Celtics since 2009, erstwhile helium was hired to beryllium the manager of their G League affiliate. Two years later, helium moved into a beforehand bureau relation and has remained with Boston for the past 14 seasons, including the past six arsenic an adjunct wide manager.

"This is an unthinkable opportunity," Ainge said successful a statement. "I couldn't beryllium much excited astir the agleam aboriginal of this organization. ... I person lived this my full life, perpetually studying teams, talent, chemistry and the selflessness indispensable to win. I look guardant to bringing that to Utah and americium excited to springiness Jazz fans a batch to cheer astir arsenic we physique our programme backmost up."

Ainge worked nether his father, Danny, for implicit a decennary successful Boston, and volition present reunite with him successful Utah aft the second -- who near the Celtics successful the summertime of 2021 -- was hired by Jazz proprietor Ryan Smith arsenic main enforcement serviceman arsenic good arsenic taking connected the relation of alternate politician successful December of that year.

Over the past 14 years, Austin Ainge has been portion of a Celtics beforehand bureau that has consistently been hailed arsenic among the league's best. In summation to winning the 2024 NBA title, the Celtics person made the playoffs successful 17 of the past 18 seasons and person won astatine slightest 1 playoff bid successful 8 of the past 9 years.

Ainge, however, volition beryllium inheriting a Jazz roster that's successful a overmuch antithetic place. While Utah does person All-Star guardant Lauri Markkanen nether declaration for the adjacent 4 years, the Jazz won 17 games this past play -- their lowest triumph full successful franchise past -- and finished with the NBA's worst grounds successful the hopes of getting immoderate lottery luck and landing Cooper Flagg with the apical prime successful adjacent month's NBA draft.

Instead, the Jazz fell each mode down to the 5th prime successful the draught aft failing to get immoderate of the 4 drawn selections successful past month's draught lottery. Utah besides has the 21st wide prime arsenic portion of the Rudy Gobert commercialized with the Minnesota Timberwolves, arsenic good arsenic a brace of second-round picks.

Utah's roster includes six caller first-round picks by the Jazz, and 8 players nether the property of 23.

"Austin is experienced, forward-thinking and laser-focused connected gathering a championship-caliber program," Smith said. "... Hiring Austin couldn't beryllium coming astatine a amended clip arsenic we physique up arsenic an enactment towards our eventual extremity of championship-level basketball."