All season long, the Boston Celtics and their fans cheered for the Brooklyn Nets to lose, as the worse they played, the better the Celtics' chances of winning the NBA Draft Lottery. Their patience paid off, as the Celtics got the top pick, and with it, many expected, would come Markelle Fultz, the talented guard out of Washington. 

Instead, Danny Ainge flipped the No. 1 pick to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for the No. 3 pick and a future first-round pick which may come in 2018 from the Lakers, or 2019 from the Kings, but figures to be in the top five either way. It was a controversial decision, and one that years from now will play a large role in how people evaluate Ainge's legacy. 

For Ainge, however, the decision made sense, as he didn't see the same gap between Fultz and the rest of the field. In fact, he went so far as to say that the Celtics could very well end up getting the guy at No. 3 that they would have taken at No. 1. Via the Worcester Telegram:

In his first comments since making the trade, Ainge said he always considered the top players in this year's draft to be "very close" and that "there is a good chance the player we take at No. 3 will be the exact player we would have taken at No. 1."

It's still unclear who that player will be, as the Celtics were reportedly interested in Josh Jackson, though the Kansas product has yet to work out with the team. They have also had Jayson Tatum in for a visit, and could select him with the third pick. And then there's the very real possibility that the Celtics don't make that pick at all, and instead package it in another trade. 

Whatever he does next, Ainge said that he's not worried about how this move will affect his reputation, saying he's "not afraid." 

"We're all going to be judged on days like these," he said after the deal to send the No. 1 overall selection in this draft to the 76ers for the No. 3 pick and what will in all likelihood be either the No. 1-protected Los Angeles Lakers pick next year or the No. 1-protected Sacramento Kings pick in 2019 became official. "I am not afraid of that."