Utah Jazz Hires Austin Ainge as President of Basketball Operations

The Utah Jazz have hired Austin Ainge as its new President of Basketball Operations. Ainge, 43, previously served as a member of the Boston Celtics’ front office staff. Ainge became a 2024 NBA champion through the Celtics. Read on for further details.

Utah Jazz Hire Austin Ainge

The Utah Jazz have hired Austin Ainge, the son of team CEO and Alternate Governor Danny Ainge, away from the Boston Celtics as the team’s President of Basketball Operations. The Jazz’s hiring of Austin was announced on Monday.

Utah Jazz Coaching Outlook

Jazz General Manager Justin Zanik will remain in his role after Ainge’s arrival, sources told ESPN. Team Governor Ryan Smith told ESPN that he envisions the two complementing each other in the day-to-day front office operations, with “separate and unique skill sets to help elevate our departments.”

Smith said in a statement, “We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Austin Ainge as our new president of basketball operations … Austin is one of the brightest minds in the NBA — his 17 years with the Celtics have given him incredible insight into every part of an organization. I’ve watched him grow into an accomplished, innovative and strategic basketball executive who’s ready to lead this organization.”

Final Thoughts

The Utah Jazz’s hiring of Austin Ainge is the second big move the team has made off the court in recent weeks. The Jazz previously signed Head Coach Will Hardy to a multi-year contract extension through the 2031 season. Hardy, 37, led the Jazz to just a 17-65 record in the 2024-25 season but excelled in developing young players. The Jazz’s primary focus is on the future, despite a rocky past season for Hardy.

Ainge worked under his father for over a decade in Boston and will soon reunite with him in Salt Lake City after the latter left the Boston Celtics for the Jazz in 2021. Ryan Smith told ESPN that he led this hiring and informed Ainge’s father of his decision.

The Jazz appeared disappointed with the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, but can’t change the past. The Jazz’s future depends on the team’s rebuilding efforts. The Jazz could select Ace Bailey, Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, etc. in the 2025 NBA Draft.