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!

Chicago Bulls Choose A Direction; Trade Butler To Timberwolves

Chicago Bulls fans are mixed in their response to the 2017 NBA Draft night deal that sent Jimmy Butler and the #16 Pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Kris Dunn, Zach Lavine, and the #7 Pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

With the #7 Pick, the Chicago Bulls selected Lauri Markkanen, a 7' 0" PF out of Arizona.

Zach Lavine, along with Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen, represent the "New Direction" of the Chicago Bulls.

In their post-draft interview, the Chicago Bulls front office described the moves as the result of "choosing a direction" in which they will be guiding the team along with head coach Fred Hoiberg.

The Chicago Bulls are hoping that Dunn, Lavine, and Markkanen will be significant building blocks in jump-starting their plan to rebuild, focusing mostly through the draft.

The trade essentially resurrected a draft night deal potentially on the table last year between the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves, although the Bulls were rumored to have been pushing for Andrew Wiggins to be included in the deal.

While response to the deal was mixed, the majority of fans were displeased with the deal. Jimmy Butler was a great Chicago Bulls player in his prime, but without better talent around him, the team would have continued to be damned to mediocrity.

Other fans were displeased by the return the Chicago Bulls received for their two time All-Star.

Whatever your feeling, we will be united in the hope that while the next few seasons may bring few wins, there will be many Markkanen threes, Zach Lavine dunks, and high draft picks to get us through.

What do you think of the Jimmy Butler trade or the new "direction" of the Chicago Bulls? Please let us know what you think in the comments below!