According to [Shams Charania of ESPN](https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1929536050361258114), long-time Boston Celtics front-office executive Austin Ainge is leaving the organization to become the new President of Basketball Operations for the Utah Jazz. Ainge’s father, Danny, is currently a leader in the Jazz’s front office as their CEO and alternate governor, as he departed from Boston after the 2020-21 season.
[Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/02/sports/austin-ainge-utah-jazz/) reported that Austin’s move to Utah was a quick one. It came out of nowhere: “A league source said Ainge’s departure transpired quickly in recent days, and that the hiring of a replacement is not imminent,” he wrote.
As of now, the Celtics are seemingly content with keeping their core group of front-office people intact without adding any additional brains to the mix.
**What role did Austin Ainge play for the Celtics?**
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As documented by Himmelsbach in his article, the Celtics’ keep their front office very small. Ainge was part of a group that also included Brad Stevens, Mike Zarren, and Dave Lewin. He told that Globe that he cherishes the work they did together:
“They’re family to me. The amount of hours we spent, I’ll miss everything. But I’ll still talk to them all the time, just like I do with other people that have left in the past. Nobody’s dying, but I’ll definitely miss working with them every day because they’re friends and also because they’re good. They’re really good. The Celtics are in good hands.”
Over his 17 years with the organization, Ainge’s role in the front office helped the Celtics build one of the most consistent powerhouses in the last 25 years.
From the shocking Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett trade to selecting Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to the slew of late-round draft picks that turned into quality players, Ainge’s voice was heard through it all.
In recent years, that latter group of draft selections includes Payton Pritchard (the 26th pick in 2020 turned NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year), Sam Hauser (an undrafted free agent who is now one of the best shooters in basketball), and the likes of Grant Williams, Aaron Nesmith, and Robert Williams III.
**Why did Austin Ainge leave for the Jazz?**
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In the end, the chance to lead a full-on NBA rebuild was too good of an opportunity for Ainge to pass up. He will also get to return to the state where he spent a lot of his life, as he was a captain of the BYU Cougars during his playing career and spent a stint as an assistant coach of Southern Utah.
“Ownership is awesome and it’s just kind of the next progression of my career,” Ainge told The Globe. “Kind of done a lot in Boston and we’ve had a lot of success over the years, and the chance to run my own team is a big part of it. And the Jazz have a lot of potential, man. It’s a lot of work, but a lot of potential.”