Danny Ainge

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Ryan Kostecka

Make no mistake, Danny Ainge has been here before.&nbsp;

Back in 2007, when Ainge was executive director of Basketball Operations for the Celtics, Boston was at a crossroads. Armed with a star in Paul Pierce, the Celtics were on their way to a 24-58 record (their second straight losing season) and had no clear path moving forward — or at least that's what many believed.&nbsp;

"We lost 19 games in a row in 2007, and our plan was [to draft] Kevin Durant. … But when the lottery came around, we got knocked back three spots to number five, and our plan changed immediately," Ainge recalled.&nbsp;

With the chance of landing a generational star gone, Ainge and his staff remained fluid and pivoted.&nbsp;

"We were able to eventually land Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, which were never available before that moment in time. … We were there, and we were ready," Ainge added. "It took a lot of good fortune."

The result was Boston's 17th title in franchise history the following season. Their 42-win improvement from the previous was the single most dramatic change in league history and earned Ainge the Executive of the Year award.&nbsp;

Ainge had a chance to reflect on his time with Boston when he met with the media on Tuesday afternoon as part of his end-of-season media availability. When asked about the parallels between that time in Boston and the present with the Jazz, he was quick to note that while there are similarities, the key to everything is remaining fluid, with multiple paths to choose from.&nbsp;

"I think that our objective is to find a player or two, and we're ready to roll. … We're ready to go big game hunting, and that hasn't happened the last two years," Ainge said. "Our mindset is that we're doing only what we can to try to win. … That's our only objective until we get to July."

But just because the Jazz have a plan moving forward, that doesn't guarantee it will go perfectly. Will somebody emerge in the upcoming draft? Will a star player become available? Either of these options—and a significant number of others—could see Utah go in multiple directions.

"Everybody wants this plan, including [Jazz owner] Ryan [Smith]. … Ryan loves a plan, he's a tech guy, he's got a plan," Ainge said. "I wish basketball were that way, I wish we could just organize and plan it. … But that's not how basketball works. If we don't land anything, we don't make any deals, then our direction could change at that moment, and we'll wait until the next time we can try to build a roster."

With three picks in the upcoming draft, Ainge quickly noted that an ideal scenario for the team wouldn't be to enter training camp super young. Utah already has three 20-year-olds on the roster and Walker Kessler, a 22-year-old center — not to mention a handful of youngsters who could figure into future plans.

"Our plan is not to come to our training camp with six kids under 20. … That's not a real good option for anybody," he said.

While that may seem like Utah is guaranteed to make a move, Ainge believes that will only happen if the right player and situation come forth — and it nearly has on at least one occasion.&nbsp;

"We're trying to find good players," he said. "That's our objective. We've been close. … We felt like we've been close once to a move in this process that would have changed the dynamic of our team immediately and the direction. There's no guarantees in this business at all. … That's why you can't just have a plan. Those things work out, but you put yourself in a position to do that."

It sounds as if the only guarantee Ainge and the organization can give the fans is that everything is on the table. There's clearly a plan to be much more competitive next season, but that doesn't guarantee something will happen.&nbsp;

Buckle up, Jazz Nation; it's just the beginning.

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"Big Game Hunting" — Utah Practicing Fluidity Ahead of Potentially Big Offseason

Jeremy Rincon

Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge meets with the media following the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, discussing the season and objectives heading into the offseason.

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Danny Ainge End of Season Media Availability

When Utah began its rebuild process 18 months ago following the trades of All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, Jazz GM Justin Zanik asked himself two questions.&nbsp;

Is success defined as just making the play-in? Or is success defined as contending for a title on a regular basis?

Those questions serve as a reminder that what Zanik, CEO Danny Ainge, and Governor Ryan Smith are trying to achieve won't be easy. It's not going to happen immediately. There are times when tough decisions will require steps back.&nbsp;

But if they can remain steadfast on the ultimate goal and do it correctly, it could lead to something incredible: an NBA championship.&nbsp;

"I think our goal is, how do we build a four- to five-year actual championship window?'" Zanik said on Saturday morning following the trade deadline. "I want to win for a long time. I don't want to just have a one-off year, 'Hey, this was nice,' and then go back. … And so the definition of winning and success, for me, is a deep playoff run."

Zanik isn't saying the Jazz haven't had success recently.&nbsp;

Beginning with the 2016-17 season, Utah made the postseason six consecutive years. They had the third-best winning percentage during that time, going 294-178. They had multiple All-Stars and individual accolades, capping one of the best runs in franchise history.&nbsp;

But the team’s struggles in the postseason remain at the forefront of Zanik's mind, which is why he's doing things differently with a larger goal in mind.

"We had a good run when it was Mike, Donovan, and Rudy," he said. "A few things happened to us. … We took our shot and it didn't work out. But at the end of the day, we haven't been out of the second round since 2007. So the goal isn't to make the play-in, don't make the play-in, keep your pick, don't keep your pick. … Those aren't the goals."

While the goal of winning a title is at the top of the list, Zanik and co. aren't willing to trade a run at the play-in tournament if it means hurting the team's future.&nbsp;

"The three guys we traded, they were great in the locker room, they're good dudes, our guys like each other," Zanik said. "But at what cost? Meaning that we spend another year with two of the guys that have made us what? What are we, 26-27, a game under .500? Two of those guys were going to be free agents. Maybe we bring them back, maybe not, not in our control."

Netting a first-round pick from Toronto (for Olynyk) and an early second-round pick from Detroit (for Fontecchio) is shrewd business. The cost of throwing Ochai Agbaji into the trade with Toronto wasn't easy, but it was necessary. The Jazz not only received those picks but also took back contracts that end this year, giving the team around $40-45 million (projected) of available cap space moving forward.&nbsp;

"It's not a binary thing to be in asset accumulation mode or asset spending mode," Zanik said. "Our plan has always been the same: to build a championship competitive team that can go deep into playoffs, accumulating assets to identify opportunities and be ready, and have that capital to spend and deploy when those opportunities become available.”

After the deadline passed, fans online drew similarities from last season to this year when the Jazz traded four players at the deadline before stumbling over the final 30 games while falling out of the play-in tournament.&nbsp;

But Zanik insists there's nothing similar between the two seasons.

"I kind of think that maybe people draw parallels to what we did last year," he said. "Here we were able to keep our core intact. The three players we traded obviously had made very good contributions this year. But in the calculus of who is going to have a chance to be with us going forward three, four, or five years from now, we need to know more about the assets that we've already acquired and players that we have."

"This is the second kind of calibration around our core, and sometimes that takes time," he added. "We traded one starter who has started during our run that started basically half the year. … The other two were rotation players. Last year, we traded three starters."

With much of the core intact for the season's stretch run, the Jazz are steadfast that winning as much as possible — and even making the play-in tournament — remains the goal for the year. But just because that's the goal, it doesn't mean it will happen. That's why the situation stays fluid.&nbsp;

"I don't think anyone isn't bought in here about trying to win," Zanik said. "I would just argue about when you talk about winning —of making a play-in or making the playoffs — I would love to do that this year. I think that should always be the goal. … But I'm not going to compromise the long-term joy and success because we want to avoid short-term pain and short-term disappointment."

"We're trying to know more about our team, put them in a competitive environment. … This 30-game period of growth for our players, to see what we have, to continue to learn more about our team, is the most important."

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"Win for a Long Time" — Jazz Dealing With Short-Term Pain While Focusing on Long-Term Joy and Success

For anyone wondering what Utah's expectations were for the season, Danny Ainge made it abundantly clear Tuesday night.

"We want to be in the playoffs. … Let's get there," Ainge said during his annual season media availability.

While Ainge's proclamation may seem odd considering the goal for nearly every team in the NBA is to make the postseason, the reality is that 14 of the 30 teams in the league fall short every season.&nbsp;

When you factor in the questions surrounding the Jazz, the overall talent and depth of the Western Conference — and the fact that Utah owes a top-10 protected first round pick to Oklahoma City in the upcoming draft — it wouldn't be shocking if the goal for the season was something other than the postseason.&nbsp;

Yet that couldn't be further from the truth. And it's not just Ainge saying so.&nbsp;

"That's the goal. … That's what we're trying to work towards," Lauri Markkanen said. "That's really one thing that I'm looking forward to, getting on that stage and really experiencing that."

"We're going to come at the season like we did last year, with a really high competitive spirit," head coach Will Hardy said. "We're trying to win every night. … Whether that results in us making the playoffs or play-in, so on and so forth, we'll find out."

The good news for the Jazz is that they're starting things off on the right foot and with the right man leading the way.&nbsp;

Ainge was very complimentary of Hardy, noting the growth he's seen from a rookie coach last year to one who looks much more comfortable entering this season.&nbsp;

"I think Will has been great," he said. "I think the things he's learning are just the things you would learn as a head coach. Being a head coach is different than being an assistant coach. … All those things are things you have to learn as a head coach, and he's doing that."

Markkanen also echoed Ainge's sentiments, noting the biggest difference between last season and this one is the level of comfort between coach and star player.

"Once you get comfortable with somebody, you can talk about different things," Markkanen said. "It's been more open once we got that year under our belt and kind of know each other. … That definitely helps, and now we can really talk about anything."

As somebody who has won an NBA title as a player and executive, Ainge knows what is needed and what it takes to climb that mountain. It's why the team, armed with many assets, is not afraid to take a big swing if necessary.&nbsp;

"I believe that a lot of players can play in any system, but a lot of them need to be a right fit," he said. "I think that's a question we always ask, 'How does he fit in with us?' Some players fit in better with certain teams and have more opportunities with them. … And some teams need a specific player's expertise and greatness."

Whether or not Ainge and the Jazz pursue trades throughout the season, the end goal stays the same. But even if they come up short, it doesn't mean the season was a failure.&nbsp;

"There are different ways to measure success," Ainge said. "Last year, my expectations weren't super high, but they overachieved because of how they played and how they grew as a team."

"I think there are a lot of factors that go into success," he added. "We want to make the playoffs, we're going to set out to do that. … But there are different ways to measure success."

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“In The Playoffs” — Ainge Reiterates Postseason Goal During Annual Press Conference

When the Utah Jazz entered the offseason last April, fans had more questions than answers.

Fast forward one year later, and when Utah GM Justin Zanik and CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge sat in front of local media for their annual end-of-season media availability, the organization was once again faced&nbsp; with the unknown.&nbsp;

Except, instead of concern, there was hope — and fun.

"Yeah, this is gonna be fun," Ainge laughed. "We have a lot more draft picks, more money to spend. … A shopping spree. This will be more fun, much more fun than last year."

After the season Utah just had, overachieving by nearly every standard, the Jazz had already answered many questions.&nbsp;

"We thought that this season would be a journey, a season of discovery," Zanik said. "We got to find out a lot of different things about our players, things we really needed to know as we try to open up a championship window. The flexibility we were able to create for now and going forward, along with all the ability to go and target different things, that can take form in many different ways."

The Jazz now have limitless opportunities to accomplish the organization's&nbsp; ultimate goal.

"The optionality that we've created with the roster, the possibilities are endless," Zanik said. "There's just multiple ways for us to continue to move forward with this team, and continue to try to open that championship window. … There could be a lot of change this summer."

Regardless of the team surpassing expectations, Jazz brass recognizes they will need more to reach the top of the mountain. The good news is that they will have three first round draft picks to use in June to help with some of their needs.&nbsp;

"We weren't a very good shooting team at the end of the year. … We need to get better defensively," Ainge said. "Those are the two areas of focus."

Just because they have three picks and a&nbsp; healthy amount of cap space to fill in some gaps, it doesn't mean that the Jazz will put all their stock into this summer. Instead, they will wait and see what/who becomes available and go from there.&nbsp;

"We're not going to put a timeline on it because the very next thing is always the most important thing. … It's just a continuous timeline of us trying to make really good decisions," Zanik said.

"You guys aren't the only ones asking us when we're going to be good, how good we're going to be this year," Ainge added with a smile. "We get asked that question by Ryan (Smith) all the time. … He's anxious to spend his money, and we're anxious to spend it."

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"Season Of Discovery" | Justin Zanik And Danny Ainge Express Optimism As An Offseason Of 'Fun' Approaches

Jazz general manager Justin Zanik and CEO Danny Ainge meet with the media at the end of the season and talked about which players with options could potentially return, how they approach the draft and looking forward into the off season.

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Justin Zanik and Danny Ainge

It’s a rarity in the NBA that a trade between two teams ends up being a win-win scenario for both organizations.&nbsp;

However, the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers have proven that it’s possible.

In a trade that sent three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland in exchange for Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Ochai Agbaji, (as well as future first round picks, and future first round draft swaps) the Jazz and Cavaliers have maintained a vibrant confidence and positive outlook for how it turned out.&nbsp;

“Ochai, Lauri and Collin are exciting young players, and we’re thrilled to add them to our roster,” Jazz General Manager Justin Zanik said last September. “We believe that they fit the Jazz culture and hard-nosed, competitive brand of basketball we’ve built here in Utah. They give us versatility and athleticism on both ends of the floor as we grow toward the future. We look forward to our fans getting to know them.”&nbsp;

In a few short months since attaining official status as a Jazzman, Markkanen has emerged as a bonafide All-Star and is having a career season with the Jazz.&nbsp;

Markkanen is averaging 24.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. He’s one of two players in the league to be averaging 20+ points per game on 50% shooting from the floor (53%) and 40% shooting from three (41.6%) — Steph Curry is the other.&nbsp;

After undergoing season-ending knee surgery during last season with the Cavs, Sexton has come back with a vengeance and firmly supplanted himself as a significant part of Utah’s future plans. A lightning quick guard who is Utah’s best one-on-one player, he’s third on the team with 14.1 points and 2.9 assists in 24.1 minutes per game.

Lastly, Agbaji has emerged over the past week with back-to-back career games against Houston and Chicago. After putting up 11 points against the Rockets, Agbaji dropped 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting (4-of-4 from deep) against the Bulls.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, since moving to The Land, Mitchell has catapulted the Cavaliers to its current status as one of the best teams in the NBA – fourth place in the Eastern Conference with the league's sixth-best overall record.&nbsp;

The play of everyone involved in the trade and the steps forward they’ve all taken are further proof that both teams can win when making deals with one another.&nbsp;

That's why when Mitchell makes his much-awaited return to Vivint Arena on Tuesday night, he should be showered with cheers and applause by Jazz Nation when his name is introduced in the starting lineup.

“Once a Jazzman, always a Jazzman. We honor the amazing five seasons Donovan gave the Jazz and the incredible contributions he made to the Utah community,” owner Ryan Smith said. “He will always be part of the Jazz's legacy, even when he is wearing another jersey as our competitor. I look forward to seeing every fan join me in a standing ovation as Donovan returns to Utah for the first time of many over the course of his career.”

Traded to Utah during the 2017 draft night, Mitchell emerged as one of the best players in the history of the organization during his five years with the team. His accolades are inarguable, as he is one of only two players from his draft class to be named an All-Star in three of their first five seasons. (Boston's Jayson Tatum is the other.)

While in Utah, he averaged 23.9 points, 4.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game on 44.1% shooting from the floor and 36.1% from three-point territory. During his time with the Jazz, Mitchell collected many career accolades, including a rookie season where he won the 2018 Slam Dunk contest and was named First-Team All-Rookie. He was also named the Western Conference Player of the Month in December 2021.

Quickly climbing up the franchise record books, Mitchell ranks No. 8 in points scored (8,234), No. 4 in points per game (23.9), No. 2 in made three-pointers (958), No. 9 in minutes per game (33.7), No. 8 in assists per game (4.5), No. 9 in steals per game (1.3), and No. 2 in usage percentage (31.4).

For postseason totals, he ranks No. 4 in points (1,073), No. 7 in assists (175), and No. 9 in steals (45). He also owns the Jazz’s all-time single-season three-point record, knocking down 232 during the 2021-22 season.

Throughout his five seasons in Utah, Mitchell played in 345 regular season games (337 starts) and 39 postseason games (all starts). When Mitchell was on the team, the Jazz compiled a 218-127 record (.632 winning percentage), while advancing to the playoffs each season.

“We did a lot of great things there. … We did not accomplish our main goal,” Mitchell told reporters after Cleveland’s game in Phoenix Sunday night. “I don’t know what the response is going to be, and I am hopeful there will be cheers. Like I said, I had a lot of positives despite not winning a championship. …That is not easy and only one team does it. At the end of the day, we played well, and we had great groups of coaches.”

While his on-court success with the Jazz can never be diminished, what Mitchell did in communities across the country and throughout Utah is where his legacy as a Jazzman will last forever. With a heart as big as his superstar status, Mitchell has championed social justice and education, using his platform to speak out against racism and inequity.&nbsp;

More than anything, he backed up his words with generosity.&nbsp;

He pledged $12 million to Greenwich Country Day (his alma mater and the school where his mother taught for over a decade). He gave all the proceeds from sales of his Adidas basketball sneakers D.O.N. Issue #2 x Louisville (up to $200,000) to provide scholarships and academic initiatives for black students at the University of Louisville.

For his community service and philanthropic commitments, Mitchell was awarded the Offseason NBA Cares Community Assist Award for his work in summer 2020.

While Mitchell was sensational for Utah for reasons on and off the court, it’s rare for a player – especially an All-Star – to stay with a team for their entire career.&nbsp;

Now the Jazz not only have a team battling for a playoff spot in the competitive Western Conference, but also are armed with more assets moving forward than any other team in the league. The front office has done everything possible to give new head coach Will Hardy the best chance at succeeding in the future.

"It was clear that in order to optimize our opportunity to create a team that could truly contend and establish sustained success, we needed to transition our roster,” said Jazz CEO of Basketball Danny Ainge during the summer. “In trading Rudy (Gobert) and now Donovan, it was a rare opportunity to maximize our ability to get quality talent and picks to best position us moving forward. We have a plan in place to help us assemble the championship team our fans deserve. It will take time to craft our roster. We all understand the work ahead and are committed to our vision."

While Mitchell's departure undoubtedly left a hole in the hearts of Jazz fans everywhere, his legacy has continued to live on. He'll forever be a Jazzman.&nbsp;

45. Spida. Donovan. Thank you. It's been an honor.

once-a-jazzman-always-a-jazzman-jazz-excited-to-welcome-donovan-mitchell-back-to-utah

“Once A Jazzman, Always A Jazzman" | Jazz Excited To Welcome Donovan Mitchell Back To Utah

Tuesday was quite the morning for the Utah Jazz.

Just hours after the Jazz announced a multi-year contract extension for general manager Justin Zanik, Utah owner Ryan Smith and CEO of basketball operations Danny Ainge met with local media to discuss the contract extension, thoughts on the upcoming season, and answer questions about the new-look squad.

Before the media session could fully get underway, Smith and Ainge both gave their thoughts on the contract extension for Zanik, a role he’s been in since 2019.&nbsp;

“I think Justin has been someone who’s been pretty instrumental since I got here,” Smith said. “He’s got a unique skillset in the league, spent a lot of time building relationships. I think that within our group, you want as many perspectives around the table. … It’s fun to come into work, and JZ is a big part of that.

“Ryan said most of it,” Ainge added. “He’s (Zanik) been great, and it’s been fun working with him. He’s got a lot of connections around the league. … He’s very well-respected in the NBA, and internally as well.”

While Zanik preached excitement as the central theme for the Jazz moving forward — especially with new head coach Will Hardy, a core group of young players, and multiple assets — Ainge also expressed that patience will be required from everyone.

“It’s called patience,” Ainge said. “I’m excited to work with Will (Hardy) this year, and I think the objectives that we have are pretty clear in our conversations as we prepare to go forward. But I really want to see him grow as a coach, and I think that this is an amazing opportunity for him.”

While many around the league expect the Jazz to be among those in the running for the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Smith and Ainge weren’t ready to make that proclamation. 

In fact, they stated the exact opposite.&nbsp;

“My expectation is for us to compete at a very high level, night in and night out,” Ainge said. “I’m really anxious to see the people, the players that have a commitment that we could really want to invest in going forward.”

That way of thinking perfectly aligns with Hardy’s ‘Team 49’ approach.&nbsp;

“We know who we have," Hardy said. "This is the 49th team in Jazz history. … That’s our focus, team 49. There’s a collective toughness. We have a lot of guys that have a chip on their shoulder. … I think that’s really powerful to have guys that are competitive and feel like they have something to prove.”

Armed with a new contract for the GM, a young and exciting head coach, an intriguing blend of youth and veterans on the team, and more assets than one could count, it’s clear the future is as bright as ever for the Jazz moving forward.

“I’ll tell you one thing. ... Our team, Salt Lake, the group, and the city, we are not mailing it in,” Smith said. “That would be an easy thing to do. … But the team has been working tirelessly.”

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"It's Called Patience" | Smith And Ainge Express Optimism For The Future

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