It is never easy to be in power. See Nick Harrison. Oh, Pat Riley. All targets of fragile fan bases. And now, it is CEO Danny Ainge who is getting roasted by Jazz fans right now. The guy once praised for his front-office genius now finds himself at the center of a fan-fueled firestorm in Utah. Falling to fifth in the draft after a dismal 17-win season was a gut punch, but the real concern isn’t just missing out on Cooper Flagg. It’s that Danny Ainge’s front office appears increasingly directionless. The same executive who once masterminded Boston’s rebuild now faces mounting skepticism in Utah. With fans questioning his vision after the disastrous Luka Dončić trade leak, and a roster stuck in NBA purgatory.

Ultimately, Danny Ainge has left the Jazz at a crossroads. They can either embrace another season of patient rebuilding, hoping to strike gold in the 2026 draft, or aggressively pivot via trade to accelerate the timeline. Ainge’s next moves will reveal whether Utah believes its future star is already in the building, waiting in the draft, or only obtainable through a bold trade. However, this isn’t the first time Danny Ainge has made questionable moves.

Robert Horry, the 7x NBA Champ, revealed deep insights about their decades-old fallout. It all began with Danny Ainge aimed (literally) at Mario Ellie. Horry told on Ringer NBA, “Danny A takes the ball out. They’re down. We’re about to win the game. He takes it and throws it, and hits Mario right in the face with the ball.” He described the event that happened while he was on the Houston Rockets and they were in the lead against the Phoenix Suns. But that wasn’t nearly all.

A few years later, when Horry had been traded to the Phoenix Suns, Danny Ainge was the assistant coach there. Horry recalled Ainge telling him that “I know I hit Mario in the face on purpose with the ball.” This moment was when Horry’s dislike towards Danny Ainge grew. Little did anyone know that a single statement was building up for a bigger dramatic act. Moving towards the final straw, Horry shared a Phoenix’s lost match. They had been down by 40 against Chicago. Naturally, discussions took place post-loss. Horry said, “‘We keep talking about our offense, man. We got beat by 40. What about our defense?”

Basically, in a chat where the team’s offense was being targeted for not scoring well, resulting in a questionable loss, Horry raised an inquiry on the defense that allowed the opponents to score such a huge margin. To his statement, according to Horry, Danny Ainge said, “Defense? You’re the worst defensive player on the team.” That really must have stung hard.  Especially because, in Horry’s words, “I’m like whoa, dude. I said, “100 steals, 100 blocks, 100 threes. First player ever to do that.” So I’m playing over here with Wayman Tisdale, Danny Manning, and Wesley Person. You say I’m the worst defensive player, man, F you.”

A valid reaction by a player with a defensive rating of 101.1 in his career. But there’s more to this story, of a built-up Horry rage towards Danny Ainge. Horry shared an anecdote from a Suns v/s Celtics matchup. He said, “I get a steal, I get a dunk, and I get, something. I had three great plays in a row. And all of a sudden he switched me for Danny Manning.” This would have surely been a big hit to his confidence, like, why even? Is there a personal grudge? “I said, “Dude, I’m playing good.” He said, “Man, go sit your ass down at the end of the bench.”” This double disrespect move by Danny Ainge is what got Horry. Finally, the climax happened. Guess?

“I got up and I said, ‘What did you f****** say to me?’ Excuse my language. And he said, “I said go sit, man.” And I threw the towel in his face and walked down early in the bench.” This is all that led Robert Horry to reach the saturation point and finally get back at Danny Ainge. However, soon Horry’s tenure with Danny Ainge came to an end. To his joy, he got traded to the Lakers. And as he recalls, “I hung up the phone. I didn’t even know, I didn’t ask who I was traded with, who I was traded for. I got in my car and I drove to L.A. the next day.” It was one of the few times we saw a star being so elated at being traded. Anyway, it was a happy ending.

Danny Ainge and the Future of the Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz entered the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery with cautious optimism. Knowing that securing the No. 1 pick could have transformed their franchise overnight. Instead, they fell to fifth. A cruel but predictable outcome for a team stuck in the murky middle of a rebuild. This result leaves them without a clear superstar to build around. Extending the uncertainty that has lingered since trading away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Danny Ainge’s Jazz have accumulated a war chest of draft picks and young talent. However, none of their current players are a definitive No. 1 option on a contender. Walker Kessler shows promise as a defensive anchor. Keyonte George has flashes of shot creation. Taylor Hendricks remains an intriguing but unproven prospect. Yet, without a true franchise cornerstone, Utah risks meandering through another season of development purgatory, too good to bottom out but not competitive enough to matter.

Danny Ainge and GM Justin Zanik now face a balancing act: develop their young core (Walker Kessler, Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks) or consolidate assets for a star trade. The No. 5 pick offers a chance to draft a high-upside project (e.g., V.J. Edgecombe, Ace Bailey) or a safer, lower-ceiling contributor. However, without a clear franchise player, Utah risks another season of mediocrity. Or worse, prolonged tanking to protect their 2026 pick (owed top-8 to OKC).

The Jazz and Danny Ainge also must decide on team options for their young players, weighing potential against proven production. Kessler’s impending extension talks loom large. While trade rumors may swirl around veterans like Lauri Markkanen, the front office pivots toward a full-scale youth movement.

Danny Ainge’s track record suggests patience, but owner Ryan Smith’s public frustration hints at pressure to show progress. The Jazz could explore aggressive trades or stay the course, banking on internal growth and future draft luck. Either way, the No. 5 pick’s development and Ainge’s next moves will define Utah’s direction in a league where stagnation is a death sentence. The clock is ticking.