Josh Jackson choosing not to work out with the Boston Celtics didn't sit well with boss Danny Ainge, and once the NBA Draft came to a close, he wasn't shy to say why.
“Never talked with Josh. No one in our organization did,” Ainge told the media today, per ESPN's Chris Forsberg. “They cancelled a workout on us when we flew out to Sacramento, and they just decided to cancel it as we flew — just [coach] Brad [Stevens] and I and [assistant general manager] Mike Zarren flew cross-country.”
“So there was something that he didn't want to play for the Celtics. In spite of that, we've watched Josh for two years and we're fans. He's a terrific kid and a good player. So we tried not to overreact to those kinds of things and make a big deal of it.”
After more specifically-pressing questions from the local media, Ainge gave in — asked if he considered giving up on Jackson after the incident.
“No. No. no. Well, there were thoughts, yeah, I was mad,” Ainge said. “We flew cross-country. Are you kidding me? I had to get up at 4 o'clock and fly back home.”
Zarren offered that some of the group chose to stay overnight, get some sleep, and catch an early flight the next day.
“There's nothing to do in Sacramento,” Ainge, who played in Sacramento later in his career, said. After some laughs from the media, Ainge added, “That could get me in trouble there.”
The Celtics drafted Duke forward Jayson Tatum with the third overall pick, a similarly-framed player with a slightly longer wingspan, without Jackson's motor, but a much more-refined shooting touch.
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