Ryan Smith Wasn’t Sure Danny Ainge Would Approve Hiring Son

SALT LAKE CITY – Though they worked together for nearly two decades in Boston, team owner Ryan Smith wasn’t sure how Danny Ainge would react to the addition of Austin Ainge to the Utah Jazz front office.

The younger Ainge was named President of Basketball Operations in Utah on Monday, but was hired before his father, Danny, gave his stamp of approval.

Related: Austin Ainge Says Jazz Won’t Be Tanking In 2025-26

Smith Kept Ainge Hiring A Secret From Father

While reuniting the Ainges in Utah, where both father and son played college basketball, may have seemed like a slam dunk, Smith told Hans Olsen and Scott Garrard on 97.5 the KSL Sports Zone that he had a moment of anxiety after the decision to hire Austin was made.

“I couldn’t get a hold of Danny for like eight hours, and I kept getting a little bit more nervous,” Smith admitted. “I share everything with Danny, and we’re very close. He’s not only a mentor, but I feel like I get to work with a Hall of Famer every single day, and I was like ‘Hey, this is either going to go really well, or really bad.'”

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— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 5, 2025

Despite an afternoon of uncertainty, Danny shared Smith’s excitement about the hire.

“Fortunately enough, [Danny] was like, ‘You know what, that was brilliant, Austin is a star,'” Smith said.

Jazz Have Had Father-Son Duo In Front Office Before

While the addition of Ainge has drawn accusations of nepotism, Smith signaled that there wouldn’t be any preferential treatment inside the Jazz front office.

“Nobody is harder on Austin than [Danny] is,” Smith said. “If you know anything about Danny, he doesn’t mince words, he’s very direct with everyone.”

This also isn’t the first time the Jazz have had a father-son duo serving major roles in the front office.

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“I find that we’ve been successful with Frank and Scott Layden before,” Smith noted, “and I don’t think this is any different.”

After Frank Layden was hired as the Jazz’s general manager in 1979 and named head coach in 1981, he brought on his son, Scott Layden, to serve as a team scout.

The younger Layden later served as an assistant coach, the director of basketball operations, and finally the vice president of basketball operations while his father operated as the general manager and president of the Jazz.

Related: What Happened To The Jazz Big Game Hunting?

That duo helped build the rosters in Utah that made back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals, a level of success Smith hopes to replicate with the Ainges.

“I’m excited for that process to continue to start,” Smith said of the recent addition. “I think we’re well on the way, it’s just these next decisions, we’re way better having Austin as a part of it.”

Ainge’s first major decision will come at the conclusion of the NBA Finals when the Jazz can begin discussing contract extensions with players already on the roster.

The Jazz will have four picks in the NBA Draft, including a top-five selection on June 25.

Next Utah Jazz Broadcast

The Jazz will travel to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday at 7 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.

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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky. 

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