Brad Stevens reportedly outbid Danny Ainge in commerce for Jrue Vacation

Celtics

The Celtics outbid a number of groups so as to purchase Vacation, together with the Jazz, Warmth, and Clippers.

Brad Stevens and the Celtics pulled off a blockbuster deal for All-Star guard Jrue Vacation final weekend, even at the price of giving up Rob Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, and two first-round picks.

However this isn’t the primary time that Boston has proven curiosity in including the coveted defensive guard.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported in 2020 that Boston was serious about plucking Vacation from the Pelicans earlier than he finally landed in Milwaukee. 

At the moment, Brad Stevens was entrenched on the sideline as Boston’s head coach, whereas Danny Ainge nonetheless held the reins because the Celtics’ high basketball govt.

A lot has modified since then, with Stevens on the helm of the Celtics’ basketball ops, and Ainge serving in a brand new function because the CEO of the Utah Jazz.

Nevertheless it’s clear that Ainge’s curiosity in buying Vacation hasn’t lessened since then.

In the course of the newest episode of the Lowe Publish podcast, ESPN’s Zach Lowe detailed the assorted suitors that known as the Path Blazers about Vacation earlier than Stevens and the Celtics finally swooped in.

It ought to come as little shock that different contenders just like the Warmth and Clippers submitted bids to Portland, as beforehand reported. 

However in accordance with Lowe, Ainge and the Jazz additionally made a concerted effort to attempt to deal for Vacation, solely to be outbid by Stevens.

“Utah was in it,” Lowe stated. “I’m undecided they had been on like the ultimate, remaining Jrue Vacation checklist as a result of they’re simply not going to be ok, and I like that Utah was in on it as a result of Utah has so many picks from so many alternative locations that they’ve the posh of claiming what — if we get a extremely good participant and a extremely good function mannequin for our younger guys who additionally clears up what’s type of a cluster — what — random guards all put collectively and have a lot stuff left over —why not, why not? As a result of we don’t have to tank essentially as exhausting as another rebuilding groups.”

Lowe added that the Pacers and Knicks additionally kicked the tires on a possible Vacation commerce, however few groups may match the supply that Stevens and the Celtics in the end put ahead.

“There’s an inventory of men within the league that you simply all the time assume you’ve by no means had an actual probability to get that you simply assume are excellent matches,” Stevens stated on the Celtics’ media day, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “And Jrue is a kind of guys.”

Stevens added: “You bought to pay an excellent value for issues, proper? That’s the best way it goes. We’re attempting to win a championship. This speaks to our possession’s willingness to spend regardless and our eagerness to be the absolute best workforce we may be.”