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Danny Ainge opens up on Celtics’ James Harden trade talks with Toucher and Rich

The big question for Danny Ainge, in the wake of the blockbuster James Harden trade to the Brooklyn Nets, is how hard the Celtics tried to get James Harden.

Dec 28, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Dec 28, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports

Celtics president of basketball ops Danny Ainge joined Toucher and Rich Thursday morning to talk hoops. The big question for Ainge, in the wake of the blockbuster James Harden trade to the Brooklyn Nets, is how hard the Celtics tried to get him.

Ainge admitted that he talked to the Rockets about a potential Harden deal. But as illustrated by what the Nets gave up to get Harden, Ainge was understandably reluctant to pay the package it would've taken to get him to Boston.

"Yeah, we had conversations regarding James, not recently but yeah, we did have conversations," Ainge said. "We had numerous talks, but the price really wasn't changing. The price was really high for us, and it was something we really didn't want to do ... I think unanimously, we decided it wasn't time for us and it wasn't the price."

Ainge also discussed the Celtics' chances of playing Friday night amid postponements and uncertainty as COVID-19 invades NBA locker rooms.

Listen above for the full Danny Ainge interview on Toucher and Rich. T&R airs every weekday from 6-10 a.m. on 98.5 The Sports Hub. Listen to full-hour podcasts here at 985TheSportsHub.com.

Matt, a North Andover, Massachusetts native, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. Growing up the son of Boston University All-American and Melrose High School hall-of-fame hockey player Steve Dolloff, sports was always a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, extensively writing about all four major Boston teams. He also is a co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and is a regular on-air contributor on the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.