Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge Was Stupid To Not Deal For Jimmy Butler

Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge is afraid of Lebron James and was stupid not to deal for Jimmy Butler.

With all the praise for the "deals" that Danny Ainge has done since taking over in 2003, what has he really accomplished as GM of the Boston Celtics?

GUTLESS. Failing to pull the trigger on a trade for Jimmy Butler marks the end of the Boston Celtics' hopes of beating Lebron.

Even with the gift of Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves thanks to Ainge's former Boston Celtics teammate, Kevin McHale, GM of the Timberwolves at the time, Ainge managed just two Finals appearances and one NBA Championship for all that colluding.

Then he lucked into getting a shit-ton of unprotected first round draft picks (2014, 2016, 2018, and swap picks in 2017) for a 37 year old Kevin Garnett and 36 year old Paul Pierce from an incompetent deal maker in Brooklyn Nets GM Billy King and a green NBA owner in Mikhail Prokhorov.

But what has he gotten for all those assets?

Boston's decision to keep their draft picks rather than pull the trigger on a deal for Jimmy Butler is a stupid mistake fueled by Ainge's fear of Lebron.

Ainge blew up the 2008 NBA Championship team because after the Miami Heat Big Three got together in 2010, the Boston Celtics were unable to get passed them and to the NBA Finals for the next three seasons.

With Lebron still standing between the Celtics and the NBA Finals, Ainge is apparently going to wait until Lebron leaves, like a scared coward.

But what makes no sense is that Jimmy Butler is one of maybe two players in the league that Lebron himself fears. This season, despite the Chicago Bulls amassing only a 41-41 record, Jimmy Butler and the Chicago Bulls beat Lebron's Cavaliers 4 out of 4 times.

Jimmy Butler's toughness has intimidated Lebron, so much so, that Butler and the Chicago Bulls dominated Lebron's Cavaliers this regular season, going 4-0.

Butler can defend Lebron without fouling, making Lebron have to work for everything, and Lebron has shown himself to be particularly susceptible to being frustrated by such players that force him to work hard. For this reason, Butler would have been the perfect player for this Celtics' team, locker room, and system.

There is no other player with the exception of Kevin Durant that would have been THE player to put the Celtics over the top of the Cavaliers.

And considering the price that was accepted for Butler, the Bulls would have jumped on a deal of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and the #3 Pick, and the Boston Celtics could have been pushing the Cavaliers off of the summit of the Eastern Conference.

But with Jimmy Butler now on his way to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Boston Celtics lost their only real chance of beating Lebron James.

And now, Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics' only option is to wait out Lebron and hope that their young assets can reach their potential-- even though only a small percentage of players ever reach Jimmy Butler's level.

Do you think that the Boston Celtics will be able to win an NBA Championship with the passive, uncommitted path they've chosen? Or do you think that missing out on Jimmy Butler ended the Celtics' chance of winning a championship? Tell us what you think in the comments below!