Danny Ainge Makes Another Trade, Reunites With Former Celtic

Jazz CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge pulled off another trade Thursday to bring a former Celtic to Utah.

Ainge’s latest deal of this offseason included sending Bojan Bogdanovic to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Olynyk of course has ties to the former Boston Celtics boss with Ainge drafting the 6-foot-11 forward at No. 13 overall in 2013 NBA Draft.

Olynyk went on to play four seasons in Boston in which he tallied 9.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Olynyk then suited up for the Miami Heat for three-plus seasons before spending time with the Houston Rockets and Pistons, who he played in 40 games for last season.

Ainge has been busy this offseason stripping down the Jazz’s roster as they appear to be in full-on tank mode. Trader Danny already shipped out three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves and dealt three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in blockbuster trades.

It’s hard to see Olynyk, 31, giving the Jazz much as he enters his 10th year in the NBA. Olynyk shot the worst 3-point percentage of his career at 33.6% last year with the Pistons. Maybe Ainge just wanted Olynyk around to reminisce about the big man’s epic Game 7 performance in the 2017 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Washington Wizards.

Olynyk and the Jazz will make their way to face the Celtics at TD Garden very late in the season on Mar. 31.