Danny Ainge Admits Isaiah Thomas Trade Was ‘Toughest’ Call He’s Made

Danny Ainge has had to make a lot of decisions as Boston Celtics president of basketball operations, but none of them were as tough as the one he made this summer.

Ainge traded Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick and the Miami Heat’s 2020 second-rounder to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving.

And you can tell how agonizing of a decision that was when you read what he told The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn.

“It was definitely the toughest call I ever had to make,” Ainge said, via the Globe. “It’s in everybody’s best interest that I don’t share all the reasons (for the trade). But the bottom line is obviously I felt like it was the right thing for our franchise to do. But it’s a deep and complicated process. It’s not as simple as people think it is.”

Ainge also acknowledged Thomas’ piece for The Players’ Tribune.

“I will just simply say that I thought Isaiah did a fabulous job in that article,” Ainge told Washburn. “He was honest and he shared the feelings that he had in that. It was a really tough thing for everybody. I feel for players. I’ve been a player. I’ve been traded and I understand it, and I thought the writing he did was superb.”

But it still was a tough situation, and the toughest decision Ainge has ever had to make.

Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images