Austin Ainge had spent 17 years with the Boston Celtics before joining the Jazz.

Boston Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge, left, talks with head coach Brad Stevens during an NBA summer league basketball game between the Celtics and the Detroit Pistons, Monday, July 8, 2013, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

  | June 2, 2025, 2:41 p.m.

Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge knows his new president of basketball operations well.

On Monday morning, the Jazz announced that they had hired Austin Ainge, Danny Ainge’s son, to be the president of basketball operations for the team. Austin, 43, had spent the last 17 years with the Boston Celtics organization.

Austin Ainge played four collegiate seasons with the BYU Cougars basketball team, averaging 6.6 points over the course of 101 games from 2003-07. Two years later, he was named head coach of the Maine Red Claws, an expansion NBA D-League franchise.

That franchise later partnered with the Celtics to be its official minor league affiliate, and the younger Ainge moved into the team’s front office. Ainge worked his way up in the organization from director of scouting and player personnel to assistant general manager, where he worked when the Jazz hired him.

“This is an incredible opportunity to lead Utah Jazz basketball operations,” Austin Ainge said in a prepared statement. “I couldn’t be more excited about the bright future of this organization. I look forward to partnering with Ryan and Ashley Smith and our other leaders within the Utah Jazz and will utilize my experience over the last 17 years building a championship-caliber organization. I have lived this my whole life, constantly studying teams, talent, chemistry and the selflessness necessary to win. I look forward to bringing that to Utah and am excited to give Jazz fans a lot to cheer about as we build our program back up.”

“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Austin Ainge as our new president of basketball operations,” Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz, said in the statement. “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 known Austin for 15 years, and I’ve watched him grow into an accomplished, innovative, and strategic basketball executive who’s ready to lead this organization.”

The Jazz said Justin Zanik, the team’s current general manager, would work with the Ainges in leading the franchise.

“Austin is one of the most respected executives in the NBA because of his basketball prowess, experience, and work ethic and I am excited to partner with him on our shared goal of success for the Utah Jazz,” Zanik said. “Once again, Ryan and Ashley illustrate their commitment to Utah as they strive to build the best franchise in the NBA.”