Utah Jazz hire Danny Ainge as CEO and alternate governor

The Utah Jazz announced Wednesday that the team is hiring Danny Ainge as alternate governor and CEO. Ainge most recently stepped down as general manger of the Boston Celtics back in June, after being with the organization since 2003.

Danny Ainge will be the new CEO of Basketball Operations for the Utah Jazz, a source confirms to @Tjonesonthenba.

Ainge was previously the Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations from 2003-early 2021. pic.twitter.com/W6RVeY4oYr

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 15, 2021

“We have big aspirations for Smith Entertainment Group and the Utah Jazz. Danny is one of the best basketball minds in the world and he’s also passionate about this state and our community,” Jazz owner Ryan Smith said. “We believe in adding the best talent to all facets of our organization and are lucky to have Danny’s acumen and experience. The Jazz are in great hands with the incredible leadership of General Manager Justin Zanik and Head Coach Quin Snyder. We couldn’t be more excited to bring Danny on board to work alongside Justin, Quin and me. Danny will help make our organization stronger in pursuit of our collective goal–winning an NBA title.”

DANNY AINGE IS A WELL RESPECTED MAN

When Ainge announced he was leaving his Celtics role, there were reports that surfaced over the summer that he could take a front office role with the Jazz, as he has a close relationship with new team owner Ryan Smith. Smith acquired the franchise in October 2020. Now those reports are turning into reality, as Ainge is expected to oversee basketball operations while Justin Zanik will remain general manager of the Jazz.

“I have known and respected Ryan and Ashley Smith for many years. What they are doing here in Utah is amazing and I am excited to be a part of their vision for the Jazz and Smith Entertainment Group as a whole,” Ainge said. “Joining the Jazz was a natural and perfect fit for me, as my roots in Utah are deep and strong. This is a team that has a tremendous foundation of players and people, and Justin and Quin are doing an amazing job. I am excited to collaborate with them, be a resource, and share the perspective I have as we work together to bring our fans the success that they deserve.” 

Ainge is a well-respected basketball mind in the NBA community, and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in what it takes to build a championship roster. He was instrumental in bringing Boston its championship in 2008 by making key moves in trading for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to play alongside Paul Pierce. He made savvy trades since that core group, most notably trading Garnett and Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets for a haul of draft picks that eventually turned into current Celtics All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Now Ainge will take his experience to a Utah team that is built to contend for a championship but has yet to get over that hump. Currently, the Jazz are third in the Western Conference with a 19-7 record, another solid start to the season after finishing last year with the best record in the West. However, the problem has never been winning in the regular season. Utah’s been to the playoffs the last five seasons, advancing past the first round three times including last year. But they’ve failed to reach the conference finals each time. 

Ainge will be able to assess the roster and see if there are any moves that need to be made that would better position the Jazz to accomplish the ultimate goal of winning a championship.