Yup, Danny Ainge Is a Genius

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Also seen at Celtics 17.

I used to hate—no, DESPISE—Danny Ainge. After his deal that sent the then-admirable Antonie Walker packing, only then to sign Brian Scalabrine, it was clear to me that this guy was just not a fit for the Celtics.

Then came the 2006-07 season, a year where the Celtics not only had shameful results but left a humiliating mark on both their legendary name and Boston's fans.

And just when I thought both Ainge and coach Doc Rivers were "outta here," a meeting was arranged between Celtics star Paul Pierce and Ainge himself.

Pierce told Ainge that "he wanted to be a Celtic for life," but if the C's didn't find veteran help for him that offseason, he'd prefer leaving Beantown and heading to a contender.

Little did he know that Mr. Ainge expected a Pierce response like that, and was working on bringing that "contender team" to Boston. So, not only did Pierce get veteran help, but two superstars ready to take a big burden off of Pierce's shoulders.

In the glorious end, Paul Pierce, the Celtics, and the city of Boston won an NBA championship—an honor they'd already experienced many times over, but not for over 20 years.

And so I'm convinced. Danny Ainge is a genius. The Ray Allen trade, which was seen as a terrible, awful move, was proven brilliant by Ainge after Allen was covered in champagne at around midnight, June 17, 2008.

He gave the T-Wolves half of the Celtics' roster in exchange for Kevin Garnett, but, once again, the swap proved to be what was necessary for both Boston and Minnesota.

Then, he added player after player on to the Celtic gang just days after the Garnett trade, not stopping until the roster was perfectly complete.

The C's signed Eddie House and Scot Pollard shortly after the Garnett trade was finalized. Late August, he signed coveted free agent James Posey to a one-year deal.

The moves were seen as complements to the blockbuster deals which ended up being the splashes of the summer, but little did we know these were the deals that would give Boston a title.

After the jump, I'll talk about the specifics and go into detail about the 2007-08 Executive of the Year.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?