Danny Ainge controlled the most coveted asset in the NBA for four years, and finally, after years of being one of the stingiest executives in the league, Ainge parted ways with it.

The Boston Celtics president of basketball operations reportedly had many opportunities to trade the Brooklyn Nets’ unprotected 2018 first-round draft pick for a star player, and he failed to pull the trigger.

Enter Kyrie Irving.

In August, Ainge traded the pick along with Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Miami Heat’s 2020 second-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Irving.

And while the 25-year-old point guard undoubtedly is the star Celtics fans have been clamoring for, the question in the back of people’s minds is simple — why now and not for Jimmy Butler, Paul George or the host of other starts the C’s have been linked to?

Ainge spoke with CSN New England and explained why he thought it was time to part with the Nets’ pick.

“I think that signing Al Horford and Gordon Hayward, I feel a responsibility to give them a chance,” Ainge said. “I think that Brooklyn pick could be very, very exciting. I think Cleveland could have a really good pick there. But it’s probably gonna be a big man that’s 19 years old, that probably needs a couple years to develop, and could develop into a franchise player.

“But Kyrie is a proven, sure thing — a guy that’s 25 and can really, really play right now. I think that’s fair for (Celtics coach) Brad (Stevens) and that’s fair for Gordon and Al. Also, it’ll give a chance for Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen (Brown) and all those guys to develop. We have some young guys that we’re developing, that are bright parts of the future: Terry Rozier and Marcus as well — Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris. We have a young team and we feel like we can have them together for a while.”

The Celtics return just four players from the team that went to the 2017 Eastern Conference finals, but they boast a roster that is littered with talent and is primed to be the class of the East once LeBron James’ powers dimish or he departs Cleveland for the Western Conference.

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