Danny Ainge Relives 2007 Celtics Nightmare At NBA Draft Lottery
The NBA draft lottery revealed the top-14 selections in order on Monday night, although all teams eligible for the No. 1 pick focused solely on Duke star Cooper Flagg, and that included ex-Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge.
Ainge, the current CEO of the Utah Jazz, spent the regular season tanking the organization to the ground to better position its lottery odds. It worked, as the Jazz finished with the league’s worst record at 17-65, which led many to believe that Flagg’s future would be in a Utah uniform for years to come.
“This entire experience for me has been amazing,” Flagg said, per ESPN. “So going forward, I’m just gonna look for that being a two-way player. That’s something I’ve done since I was a little kid, so I’m just gonna keep trying to do that to the best of my ability. … For me, I didn’t try to think about (the lottery) too much. I feel like it’s just kind of out of my control. I’m just kind of going through the process like everybody else and just trying to enjoy every single moment because you only get to do this once.”
However, as fate would have it, the Jazz weren’t destined for Flagg after all because once the envelopes opened up, so did an ancient nightmare for Ainge: the 2007 draft lottery, also known as Boston’s (failed) tank job for Kevin Durant.
The Celtics were deeply invested in bringing Durant to Boston 18 years ago when the 15-time All-Star was a prospect at Texas. Ainge knew if the Celtics wanted to retain Paul Pierce for the long run, that he would need a co-star to work alongside and Durant fit the mold. Boston had the second-best odds (a 19.9% chance) at the No. 1 pick, and Celtics fans were obsessed with debating between Durant and Ohio State’s Greg Oden as if it were set in stone. But once the order was revealed, Boston drew the No. 5 pick.
It was a devastating blow to Ainge and the front office, but in hindsight, everything worked out in its own weird way. Missing out on Durant forced Ainge to get creative and flip the No. 5 pick (Jeff Green) in a three-player package sent to the Seattle Supersonics in exchange for Ray Allen. Three days later, Ainge and the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves and birthed the “Big Three.”
Pierce, Garnett and Allen saved the Celtics, restored the way Boston viewed head coach Doc Rivers and made Ainge out to be a front office genius all through their delivery of Banner 17. The trio followed up with a second NBA Finals appearance against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010, but fell short.
Meanwhile, Ainge and the Celtics didn’t lose sight of their interest in Durant.
The Celtics recruited then-New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to join their 2016 free agency meeting with Durant. It was a valiant effort, but Durant turned Boston down and instead signed with the Golden State Warriors and logged Ainge’s second swing-and-miss at making Durant the next Celtics great.
So, no, this year’s draft lottery wasn’t Ainge’s first walk around the block. But failing to secure Flagg, a projected generational talent, should reopen past wounds for the 66-year-old executive and three-time NBA champion.
Utah did everything possible this past season, just to fall short. And to make matters worse, Ainge and the Jazz helped facilitate the three-team Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers before February’s deadline — just to watch the Mavericks capture the first overall pick this year following months of fanbase turmoil in Dallas. While Ainge has spent over two decades building a legacy as a legendary cutthroat front office leader, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has been bailed out.
The Mavericks entered lottery night with a 1.8% chance at the No. 1 pick, making the franchise the fourth-longest odds winner ever. Dallas can now select Flagg and plug him in alongside stars Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
Flagg, a Maine native, averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists across his 37 games with the Blue Devils last season. The 18-year-old was named the ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year, joining Zion Williamson, Marvin Bagley III, and Jahlil Okafor as the only players in Duke history to win both awards.