Danny Ainge tried to trade for Jimmy Butler in 2016 and 2017 when he was running the Boston Celtics and Butler was on the Chicago Bulls. Ainge
told former NBA players Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles on the latest episode of the “Knuckleheads” podcast that the Bulls wanted the Celtics’
draft picks that turned into Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum for Butler.
The Celtics drafted Brown with the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and selected Tatum with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The Bulls wound up trading Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2017 draft for Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen.
Butler played in 69 games with the Timberwolves before getting traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. The six-time NBA All-Star appeared in only 55
games with the Sixers before joining the Miami Heat in the summer of 2019. Butler has guided the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances in his four
years with the franchise.
The Celtics, meanwhile, have had a lot of success with Tatum and Brown. They have reached four conference finals and one NBA Finals. While Ainge
is no longer with the Celtics, he should be incredibly proud of what he built in Boston.
Butler is averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 231 games with the Heat. He will make the Hall of Fame one day, which is remarkable
considering the fact that he was homeless at one point as a teenager.
Brown has career NBA averages of 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists with the Celtics, while Tatum has career NBA averages of 22.5 points, 7.0
rebounds and 3.3 assists with Boston.
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On this day: Young born; Gugliotta signs; Barros, Fortson traded
On this day in Boston Celtics history, shooting guard James Young was born in Flint, Michigan in 1995. Young would play his collegiate ball with the
University of Kentucky Wildcats, where he would make Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2014. He would soon after
being selected by the Celtics with the 17th overall pick of the 2014 NBA draft.
The Flint native would struggle on both ends of the court at the next level, spending much of his time with Boston’s developmental affiliate in the D
League (as the G League was known in that era).
This was of course the Maine Red Claws (now Celtics), where he spent a considerable part of his rookie season.
He would play a total of three seasons for the Celtics, but despite some strong showings with the Red Claws, couldn’t put it together at the NBA level.
Young averaged 2.3 points and a rebound per game while with Boston.
It is also the anniversary of former Celtic forward Tom Gugliotta signing with Boston in 2004.
It would be the second-to-last stop in a long career in the league, with prior stops with the Washington Bullets (now, Wizards), Golden State
Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz.
Gugliotta played just 20 games for the Celtics that season before being dealt with Gary Payton and Michael Stewart with draft assets to the Atlanta
Hawks for Antoine Walker.
The NC State alum scored 1.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game with the Celtics.
It is also the anniversary of the massive, four-team trade that sent Danny Fortson to the Warriors and Dana Barros to the Dallas Mavericks for Robert
Pack, Hot Rod Williams, draft assets, and cash.
Barros had been with the team for five seasons in a reserve role, while Fortson was a recent arrival, having only played 55 games with the team.
Happy birthday in heaven to former league Rookie of the Year, Howie Shannon. #Celtics pic.twitter.com/OMD1wIRE01
— Honest☘️Larry (@HonestLarry1) June 10, 2021
Finally, it is also the day we lost wing Howie Shannon in 1995.
Born in Manhattan, Kansas, in 1923, Shannon played his NCAA ball at both the University of North Texas and Kansas State before being drafted by
the (now defunct) Providence Steamrollers.
1949: Howie Shannon
Rookie Stats: 13.4pts, 2.3ast, 36.4 FG%, 80.4 FT%.
Playing as a combo guard/forward, Shannon played just two seasons with the Providence Steamrollers and the Boston Celtics before
heading into coaching, noteably the 1960 Puerto Rican national team. pic.twitter.com/KwxTSb4hMi
— Justin Bryan (@Justin_G_Bryan) June 30, 2020
Picked up by Boston in the 1949 dispersal draft after the Steamrollers folded, the Kansan played 67 games for the Celtics that next season of 1949-50,
his last as a player.
The Kansas State product put up 8.8 points and 2.6 assists per game, with rebounds yet to be recorded, soon to make the leap into coaching the
game. Rest in peace.
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