Danny Ainge, Celtics Garner High Praise From Fellow NBA Executives

The Boston Celtics’ rapid turnaround has not gone unnoticed among NBA circles.

The Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett caught up with a number of NBA executives over the weekend at the league’s draft combine in Chicago to get their takes on the job Danny Ainge and his staff have done over these past few years in Boston.

Here’s a sampling:

— Indiana Pacers president (and Celtics legend) Larry Bird:

“It’s hard to do what he’s done. I think he’s done a good job. He even got a first-rounder for his coach (Doc Rivers), you know.

“… That’s what you do in this league. You try to get as many assets as you possibly can, and at the right time maybe bunch them together and get a hell of a player. This league is All-Star driven, talent-driven, and that’s one way you can get a lot of talent.”

— Minnesota Timberwolves coach/president of basketball operations Flip Saunders:

“They’ve done a good job. Danny’s always been very proactive in what he’s trying to do, so they’ve been able to improve and maintain. That’s very difficult to do in the ever-changing way our league is.”

— Oklahoma City Thunder general manager (and Concord, Mass., native) Sam Presti:

“I think they’ve looked at it really surgically and really been very calculated in how they went about it. But it’s not easy, and I think they’ve done it as well as anybody.”

— Phoenix Suns GM (and former Celtics assistant GM) Ryan McDonough:

“I think they’ve done a terrific job of not only gathering assets but also remaining competitive while they do it. It’s not an easy thing to do. We’ve tried to do a similar thing in Phoenix.

“… I admire the way the Celtics have done it. They’ve done a tremendous job. They’ve got all the future picks in the queue that are coming down the line. They have some good young players. Obviously they have excellent management and coaching. The fans will see over time how things will work out.”

The Celtics, who own the 16th and 28th selections in this June’s NBA draft, are expected to continue their wheeling and dealing ways this summer.