Could Mike Zarren be Danny Ainge’s Eventual Replacement?

Mike Zarren is terrific at his job, and the Celtics would be very lucky if he stuck around to get promoted.

The Celtics have had a very good offseason following a season in which they finished first in the eastern conference, and made it all the way to the conference finals.

The Celtics have added all star forward Gordon Hayward and big man Aron Baynes through free agency, while acquiring the versatile Marcus Morris. They have lost key players like Avery Bradley and Amir Johnson, but Boston has vastly improved this summer, and are a legitimate threat to the Cavaliers and Warriors for the NBA championship.

Danny Ainge will get most or all of the credit for these moves, and also receive all or most of the blame if they don’t work out. That’s what being a President of Basketball Operations brings. However, assistant general manager Mike Zarren has been one of the underlying forces in the Celtics’ front office throughout their rebuild.

It seems that Ainge hasn’t been the primary negotiator in trade talks for the Celtics, and Zarren was the one who closed the deal with the Sixers in swapping top three picks.

Zarren as of now is still the assistant under Ainge, but a lot of executives around the NBA think that he is due for a promotion sooner rather than later.

Sam Hinkie is the father of “The Process” in Philadelphia, and has become a household name after leaving the team in light of the Colangelo’s taking over the Sixers. The other voice in his tweet is Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who is one of the best executives in the NBA for his innovation and aggressive moves.

There are plenty of jobs out there every year for new general managers. Cleveland is still looking for one in fact, but Zarren remains with the Celtics and we have yet to hear of him even interviewing for any positions.

So we have an executive who is more than qualified for these general manager jobs, but isn’t even getting interviewed? This could mean that Zarren is the long term replacement for Ainge once he decides to step down from his duties as President of Basketball Operations for the Celtics.

Ainge has been in the same position with the Celtics since 2003, and it is possible that he views this current group he has as his last run before handing it off to Zarren. It is in the nature of the Celtics to think forward more than most teams would *cough-cough Cavs* and having Zarren on board to wait to receive the baton from Ainge would be something that Red Auerbach would definitely consider.

Next: Marcus Smart is the Next Celtics Superstar

Not only do the Celtics have a plan with their roster, but it also appears that they have a plan with their front office as well. Keeping the continuity between front office and head coach is a key to sustained success, and the Celtics seem to have that in mind with Brad Stevens and Mike Zarren.