A familiar face could emerge as a trade partner for the Celtics

Are the Boston Celtics and the Ainge family ready to do business?

The two clubs have stayed out of each other's ways ever since Ainge departed Boston to become the new front office chief of the Utah Jazz. But another former C's staffer is also headed to Salt Lake City -- Danny's son, Austin Ainge.

Shams Charania reported the younger Ainge's move on Monday, as he will join his father as the Jazz's new president of basketball operations. Danny Ainge remains with the Jazz organization as its basketball CEO and alternate governor. And now, MassLive's Brian Robb is wondering whether the family's deep ties to the Celtics could lead to a deal this offseason.

Robb reports that the Jazz previously tried to acquire Jrue Holiday and/or Kristaps Porzingis in trades back in 2023, before the pair ultimately ended up in Boston. So, if the Ainges remain interested in either of them, they could be the team that helps the Celtics get them off the books.

^{Brad Stevens}

Like the Celtics, the Jazz are over the cap for the 2025-26 season, so they would need to match money in any trade. The Celtics have other restrictions, due to being over the second luxury tax apron.

But, the Jazz do have a number of expiring contracts that they could combine in a deal to bring Holiday and his long-term deal to Utah. Those include power forward John Collins ($26.6 million), guards Collin Sexton ($19.2 million) and Jordan Clarkson ($14.3 million), and small forward Kenyon Martin Jr. ($8 million). Such a deal may not help the Celtics get out from under the aprons, but it would be huge to wipe Holiday's contract off the books for future seasons.

Even after making a deal with the Jazz, the C's would need to cut more salary in order to get under the second apron. That's going to be a tricky move to pull off, and would likely require attaching draft picks to the contracts being sent out. But it's an unavoidable item on Brad Steven's to-do list this offseason.