The Utah Jazz have hired Austin Ainge, the son of team CEO and alternate governor Danny Ainge, away from the Boston Celtics as the team’s president of basketball operations, it was announced Monday.

Utah’s general manager, Justin Zanik, will remain in his role after Ainge’s arrival, sources told ESPN, with team governor Ryan Smith telling ESPN that he envisions the two complementing each other in the day-to-day front office operations, with “separate and unique skill sets to help elevate our departments.”

“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Austin Ainge as our new president of basketball operations,” Smith said in a statement. “Austin is one of the brightest minds in the NBA — his 17 years with the Celtics have given him incredible insight into every part of an organization.

“… I’ve watched him grow into an accomplished, innovative and strategic basketball executive who’s ready to lead this organization.”

It’s the second big move Utah has made off the court in the past several weeks, after the Jazz locked up coach Will Hardy to a long-term contract extension last month that runs through 2031.

Ainge worked under his father for over a decade in Boston and will now reunite with him in Utah after the latter left the Celtics for the Jazz in the summer of 2021.

Smith told ESPN that he led this hiring and informed Danny Ainge of his decision.

“It’s go time for us: Will [Hardy] is locked in long term and I’ve known Austin for a really long time, and he’s the next, young executive stud,” Smith told ESPN. “He wasn’t going to be available much longer. It’s good timing on all parts.

“As I look out into the future, there’s no one I would rather have run this organization than Austin. His pedigree, his knowledge and his talent evaluation shined through, working with DA for so long and having the trust of Brad [Stevens] all of these years. Austin has the full capabilities to run our operations — he’s methodical, diligent and just brilliant.”

Ainge, 43, has been with the Celtics since 2009, when he was hired to be the coach of their G League affiliate. Two years later, he moved into a front office role and has remained with Boston for the past 14 seasons, including the past six as an assistant general manager.

“This is an incredible opportunity,” Ainge said in a statement. “I couldn’t be more excited about the bright future of this organization. … I have lived this my whole life, constantly studying teams, talent, chemistry and the selflessness necessary to win. I look forward to bringing that to Utah and am excited to give Jazz fans a lot to cheer about as we build our program back up.”

Over the past 14 years, Austin Ainge has been part of a Celtics front office that has consistently been hailed as among the league’s best. In addition to winning the 2024 NBA title, the Celtics have made the playoffs in 17 of the past 18 seasons and have won at least one playoff series in eight of the past nine years.

Ainge, however, will be inheriting a Jazz roster that’s in a much different place. While Utah does have All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen under contract for the next four years, the Jazz won 17 games this past season — their lowest win total in franchise history — and finished with the NBA’s worst record in the hopes of getting some lottery luck and landing Cooper Flagg with the top pick in next month’s NBA draft.

Instead, the Jazz fell all the way down to the fifth pick in the draft after failing to get any of the four drawn selections in last month’s draft lottery. Utah also has the 21st overall pick as part of the Rudy Gobert trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, as well as a pair of second-round picks.

Utah’s roster includes six recent first-round picks by the Jazz, and eight players under the age of 23.

“Austin is experienced, forward-thinking and laser-focused on building a championship-caliber program,” Smith said. “… Hiring Austin couldn’t be coming at a better time as we build up as an organization towards our ultimate goal of championship-level basketball.”