National Basketball Association

Which Celtics trade from last season was the best?

Published May. 31, 2015 10:32 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Celtics made as many trades as anyone last year, and while the inclusion of draft picks makes it difficult to judge whether they were ultimately worthwhile, Danny Ainge's process makes plenty of sense.

Here's a look at five trades Boston made this year, ranking them on how beneficial they were (or will likely be) for the team in the future, courtesy of FanSided's Celtics blog Hardwood Houdini. It should come as no surprise that getting rid of Rajon Rondo comes in at number one:

"The draft picks are what the Celtics wanted most. When they decided to trade Rondo they knew they were in a full force rebuild and draft picks were what they coveted. If all the Maverics gave up was draft picks they’d still regret the deal and the Celtics would still be ecstatic. Throw in Jae Crowder and the Celtics robbed the Maverics. Crowder appears to have secured a long term spot with the Celtics and is one of the three best players on the current roster. The Celtics did a lot of rebuilding this season and the Rondo trade is by far the most beneficial move."

Dumping Rondo led to them being able to get rid of Jeff Green and acquire Isaiah Thomas. What first looked like a desperate move wound up being brilliant. It was one of the smartest/hardest decisions Ainge has likely ever had to make.

(h/t: Hardwood Houdini)

Photo Credit: Russ Isabella/USA TODAY Sports