One day after the Boston Celtics were eliminated from the playoffs, general manager Danny Ainge made it clear not to expect the fireworks he’s promised in years past.
After spending the last few summers chasing the likes of Kevin Durant, Ainge put together a roster ready to contend with Al Horford, Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving leading the way. When Hayward and Irving were lost for the season though, it was Horford and their back-to-back No. 3 overall picks Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum leading an improbable run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
After falling just one win short of sending LeBron James home from the playoffs (and possibly ending his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers), Ainge faces an offseason with plenty of franchise-altering decisions.
If Boston opts to, it can run back its Eastern Conference Finals team, while adding All-Stars Hayward and Irving to the mix. Some have questioned if the Celtics should trade Irving, opting instead to build around the less expensive and more defensively-equipped Terry Rozier. Other questions have arisen on what Hayward could command in a trade after Brown and Tatum rose to the challenge throughout Boston’s playoff push.
Ainge scoffed at the notion of the Celtics moving on from either Irving or Hayward, per an interview with the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach:
“I get a kick out of the fact that everywhere I go, people don’t think we need Kyrie or need Gordon Hayward,” he said. “I have a much longer memory and remember how great those guys were and what an effort it took us to get them. I also remember how great they are and how young they are still.
“So we need Gordon and Kyrie, absolutely need them. If this playoff run and all the series of the playoffs didn’t show that, then I don’t know what does. We were able to win some games and we were able to fight through some tough battles, but we’re much, much better with Kyrie and Gordon.”
Hayward played a grand total of five minutes before suffering a devastating broken ankle in Boston’s opening game against the Cavaliers. Irving played in 60 games before he was shut down for the season in early April after undergoing knee surgery. Boston responded to those injuries by winning a seven-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks and waltzing through the young and hungry Philadelphia 76ers in five games. With James on the ropes and the Celtics holding a 3-2 series lead, Boston couldn’t land the knockout blow in Game 6 or 7 and missed the cold-blooded presence of a guy like Irving and the two-way abilities of Hayward.
We’ll soon see if Trader Danny stays true to his word, or if a trade comes his way that’s just too juicy to turn down.
