Austin Ainge left the Boston Celtics to join his father in the Utah Jazz’s front office on Monday.
Ainge might not be the only member of the Celtics to go from Boston to Utah this offseason, though.
Given the intimate knowledge Austin Ainge and Jazz CEO and alternate governor Danny Ainge have of the Celtics, MassLive’s Brian Robb believes Utah could emerge as a viable trade partner with Boston, which is trying to shed salary to get under the second apron.
And according to Robb, the Jazz might have their eyes on two Celtics players about to hit the trade block.
“League sources tell MassLive that the Jazz showed interest in acquiring Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday via trade back in 2023 before both players ultimately landed in Boston,” Robb wrote. “Both players are available again on the trade market this year as the Celtics weigh offseason options to retool their roster and reduce salary to get under the second apron after Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles.
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“Whether Holiday or Porzingis interest the Jazz front office now a couple of years later will be a fascinating question, but the Jazz could be a big wildcard in the NBA offseason if they start trying to push back toward playoff contention. No two executives across the league know current Celtics players quite like Danny Ainge and Austin Ainge so Utah is worth keeping an eye on (beyond just Holiday and Porzingis) if Celtics players are made available in trades.”
Danny Ainge, as he did with the Celtics, stockpiled a treasure trove of draft picks and other assets to swing a big trade. And now might be the time for the Jazz to offload those assets after coming up way short in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes — the Jazz tanked again and despite owning the league’s worst record this past season, they wound up with the fifth overall pick.
The Jazz could include any one of their four expiring contracts — John Collins, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and KJ Martin — in a deal with the Celtics to help match the big salaries of either Porzingis or Holiday. Porzingis, who will be on the last year of his contract next season, is set to make $30.7 million while Holiday will make $32.4 million in the second year of a four-year, $134 million extension he signed with the Celtics in 2024.
The Jazz certainly are an intriguing trade partner for the Celtics, but Utah figures to be one of many teams trying to land either Porzingis or Holiday this offseason.
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