Danny Ainge has been part of some of the most notable trades in NBA history, but none have been more significant than this.

When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic Saturday night, the Jazz helped facilitate the deal in order to satisfy NBA salary cap rules. However, Utah’s team president Ainge wasn’t immediately aware of the magnitude of his team’s involvement.

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According to a Monday report from Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the Jazz “didn’t know Doncic and Davis were a part of the deal until about an hour before it was completed.”

“(Ainge) had about only 30 minutes notice, sources said, that Los Angeles was about to acquire Doncic to be the new face of its franchise,” wrote Shelburne and MacMahon. “But by then it was too late to do much about it. NBA history was about to be altered.”

It’s unclear if Ainge would have kept the Jazz in the trade had he known Doncic was being dealt. According to the ESPN report, Utah had been “recruited ... as a facilitator” for the transaction this past week, with the organization only knowing what it would be receiving and not being aware of the other moving pieces.

The Jazz already own the Lakers’ 2027 first rounder, which should now become less valuable considering Doncic will likely keep Los Angeles in title contention for years to come.

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As the third team in the trade, Utah received second-year guard Jalen Hood-Schifino — a 2023 first-round selection — along with two future second-round picks. The Jazz ended up with Hood-Schifino because the exchange of stars would have put the Lakers and Mavericks over the cap, thus requiring a third party to absorb some salary.

In return for Hood-Schifino and the pair of picks, the Jazz sent $55,000 to both Dallas and Los Angeles, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Ainge is no stranger to these kind of larger deals. He has been known for making shrewd — or sometimes controversial — moves in order to stockpile draft picks, as evidenced by Utah’s 11 total first-round selections through 2031.

But given his history as both a player and executive for the Boston Celtics, it’s somewhat ironic that Ainge helped the franchise’s longtime rival, the Lakers, acquire a generational talent capable of winning championships in Los Angeles.

Utah Jazz's CEO, Danny Ainge, left, looks on as Jazz owner Ryan Smith and head coach Will Hardy fist bump while sitting court side before the start an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, in Salt Lake City. | Rick Bowmer, Associated Press
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