Danny Ainge acknowledged that trading Delonte West was one of the hardest decisions he's made as Boston's president of basketball operations, but three years later he's hoping West, like the players he was swapped for did in 2008, can help bring the team a championship.

Ainge confirmed Wednesday that the Celtics have signed West, adding the 6-foot-4 free-agent guard to Boston's impressive offseason haul.

The Boston Herald first reported the agreement.

"He was one of the toughest guys for me to trade," said Ainge, who sent West, Wally Szczerbiak, the No. 5 pick in the 2007 draft (Jeff Green), and a 2008 second-round pick (Trent Plaisted) to Seattle in exchange for Ray Allen and the No. 32 pick in the 2007 draft (Glen Davis).

"I'd do it again, of course, but we really liked Delonte when he was here. Even though we knew the issues and the challenges he needed to take care of, we also think Delonte is in a better place today than he was the day he left. He wasn't perfect, but we still liked the player."

The Celtics selected West 24th overall in the 2004 NBA draft, the middle of three first-round picks that included Al Jefferson (15th overall) and Tony Allen (25th overall). He spent three seasons in Boston, averaging a career-high 12.2 points, along with 4.4 assists and 3 rebounds per game during the 2006-07 season (starting 47 of the 69 games he appeared in).

He was dealt that offseason, a key chip in what started the uniting of the new Big Three. While Allen and Davis have helped Boston to a pair of appearances in the NBA Finals and one title, West didn't last a season in Seattle, being sent to Cleveland in a three-way deal at the 2008 trade deadline.

West spent the last two-plus seasons -- seasons marred by off-the-court troubles -- with the Cavaliers, saving his finest efforts for the 2008-09 postseason before losing his starting job last year. Cleveland traded West to the Minnesota Timberwolves last month and he was waived soon after.

Ainge said Boston had West on its radar from the moment he got dealt from Cleveland. While Ainge wouldn't comment on terms of the deal or if it is guaranteed, West is likely to garner the veteran minimum -- the most Boston could offer -- which for a sixth-year player is little more than $1 million. If it's a one-year deal, the league will pay a portion of that salary, so Boston will only be on the hook for the salary of a two-year veteran, which is $854,000.