Boston Celtics: 10 Best Moves Made by Danny Ainge as GM

Danny Ainge is notorious for taking risks, making moves, looking for trade opportunities, and trying to make the most of the roster he has built. The Celtics have seen Ainge make a plethora of moves since joining the team in 2003 as he continues to help piece together this team.

Boston Celtics President and GM Danny Ainge is arguably as sound a GM as there is in the game of basketball today.

He is a risk-taker, and gets his fair share of criticism (...Kendrick Perkins), yet Ainge at the end of the day is the reason the Celtics have contended for an NBA championship the last four seasons. He is best known for bringing together the Big Three in Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett in 2007.

Going into his fifth season with the Big Three, here are the 10 best moves of the Danny Ainge era with the Boston Celtics.

No. 10: Dealing Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder

Despite the backlash that Danny Ainge has received after trading Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder, to a certain respect it was a positive move.

Perkins is a top-notch center in the NBA and has proven himself time and time again despite the doubters. Yet he was in his last year of his contract and rumors were already going around that he was going to test the free agent market this offseason. Ainge felt as though trading him would bring in talent to Boston, whereas waiting until the end of the season sends Perkins away with nothing in return.

This move also brought in Jeff Green to Boston, a move that is likely to benefit this Celtics team for the next handful of seasons. Green is young, talented and continues to look more and more like a sound talent for the team. He also gives Pierce much needed rest throughout the course of the 2011-2012 season.

No. 9: Trading for Glen Davis

Shortly following the 2007 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics traded for Glen "Big Baby" Davis, as it was one of the better moves the franchise has made.

Coming into the league Davis was well overweight and had to get into better shape. Davis has done just that and is as productive as any player on the team's roster in his limited minutes.

He quietly averaged 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season in just 29.5 minutes per game. Davis was also among the league-leaders in charges drawn last season, helping the Celtics out defensively.

No. 8: Signing James Posey in 2007

James Posey was an integral reason the Celtics were able to beat the L.A. Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals, making his signing one of the better moves Ainge has made for the team.

Posey is a proven talent that can play defense and offense, matching up against some of the best scorers defensively and knocking down the three-point shot time and time again. Posey hit 39.8 percent of his three-point shots in 2008, which was key in the Celtics winning the 2008 NBA championship.

No. 7: Re-Signing Head Coach Doc Rivers

This offseason the Celtics have already moved one step in the right direction, as Danny Ainge has brough back head coach Doc Rivers for five more seasons.

After debating even coming back for another season, this move has to be one of the more impressive ones Ainge has made. The contract is said to be a five-year, 35-million dollar deal that has Rivers with the Celtics through the 2016 season.

With the Celtics he has helped take an NBA second-worst team and made them into contenders. Rivers was able to help this team win a championship in 2008, as bringing him back is without question a positive move for the organization going forward.

No. 6: Getting the Right Players in the 2004 NBA Draft

Talk about a draft to remember for the Boston Celtics.

The team would take Al Jefferson, Delonte West and Tony Allen in the 2004 NBA Draft.

Developing each of their games in the draft played a vital role in the Celtics success for years to come. Improving Al Jefferson's game was as important as anything, in that he would be a part of the blockbuster trade for Kevin Garnett in 2007.

Tony Allen played an integral part of the Celtics success in the 2008 NBA championship run, playing tough defense and finishing well at the basket. Delonte West has been traded to Cleveland and now he is back with the Celtics, as he proved a solid player in the league over the course of his career.

No. 5: Trading for Kendrick Perkins in the 2003 NBA Draft

The Boston Celtics won big by acquiring Kendrick Perkins in the 2003 NBA Draft.

Danny Ainge and company traded for Kendrick Perkins and point guard Marcus Banks, while dealing away Troy Bell and Dahntay Jones to the Seattle Supersonics.

The move has proven as impressive as any, as Perkins has developed to be one of the more sounds centers this league has to offer. His tough, gritty play on both ends of the floor is not found in many at his position.

Perkins played an important role in helping the Celtics to win their 17th NBA Championship, the most of any franchise in the NBA.

No. 4: Keeping Paul Pierce in Boston

Keeping Paul Pierce in Boston was not an easy task, as the guy wanted out several times.

Pierce had proven to be a top talent in the league in his first handful of seasons in the league and wanted Ainge to put together a team that could get it done in the postseason.

After things got as bad as they could get in the 2006-2007, it was time for a change in Pierce's mind. The Celtics were the second-worst team in the NBA and needed all the help they could get. If no trade was to be made, Pierce was not going to play with this team much longer.

Ainge was able to keep Pierce happy to say the least, going out and getting Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett that offseason. The Celtics would then win the championship in 2008.

No. 3: Choosing Rajon Rondo over Delonte West

One would have to agree Ainge made the right move here.

Just before trading for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Celtics had to decide whether or not they were going to start Delonte West or Rajon Rondo at the point guard position. One of these young talents would be dealt in the trade for Kevin Garnett.

Ainge ended up choosing Rondo, a point guard that had never had the opportunity to yet prove himself in the league, unlike West who had. Ainge risked it and went with Rondo, as he now can say he made arguably one of the best moves of any GM that season.

No. 2: Trading for Ray Allen

Talk about a move that helped complete a basketball team.

Prior to the move for Kevin Garnett, the Celtics went after top-scoring shooting guard Ray Allen from Seattle. The Celtics gave up the fifth pick in the NBA Draft, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and their second-round pick.

Ironically, the fifth pick ended up being Jeff Green out of Georgetown, a player that the Celtics would later acquire via trade of Kendrick Perkins last season.

Allen has proven to be a machine since joining the ball club, continuing to be a scoring threat and consistently coming up big for the team late in games. Allen played arguably as important a role as any player in winning the 2008 NBA Championship with the Celtics the following season.

No. 1: Trading for Kevin Garnett in August 2007

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett has proven to be the best move in the Danny Ainge era with the team.

Hands-down, it was the most important reason why the Celtics were able to turn the franchise around so quickly and post an NBA championship the following season in 2008. Garnett brought a defensive presence and scoring-threat in the post that gave the Celtics a plethora of ways to dominate a ball game.

Garnett was brought to the Celtics in a multi-player trade. The blockbuster trade sent seven players to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the future hall-of-famer. Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and two first-round draft picks were dealt to the Timberwolves for Garnett.

Garnett has proven himself on both ends of the floor for the team. In the 2007-2008 championship season, Garnett was also given the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year award.