Ainge's Celtics partner with Orem's Utah Flash

PHOENIX — Original plans called for the NBA Development League's Utah Flash to have a working relationship with the Jazz and no other NBA team.

When Boston Celtics general manager and former BYU star Danny Ainge called, however, Flash owner Brandt Andersen could not resist changing his mind.

"We toyed with the idea of just telling the NBA we wanted just to be affiliated with the Jazz," Andersen said when he and others from the D-League club visited the Jazz at their recent training camp in Boise. "But Danny Ainge really wanted to be affiliated with us, because of his connections to Utah County."

The result is that Orem-based Flash will serve as farm team for both, though it's clear by the makeup of the coaching staff and front office — head coach Brad Jones and general manager Dave Fredman both have longstanding ties to the Jazz organization, and Jones is the nephew-by-marriage of Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan — that their system will emulate that run by the Jazz.

Still, the Flash are making efforts to solidify their relationship with the Celtics — including a visit this week to the Boston area for members of the Flash staff.

All first and second-year Jazz players — Ronnie Brewer, Paul Millsap, Morris Almond and Kyrylo Fesenko — are technically eligible for assignments to the D-League.

Fesenko is the likeliest to go at some point, though his spirited performances in Utah's first three preseason games prior to tonight's at Phoenix — he's scored 17 points, pulled down eight rebounds and blocked six shots in a total of 42 off-the-bench minutes — might prompt Jazz brass to keep him away from Orem for longer stretches than initially anticipated.

Even if the Flash don't land Fesenko, they could wind up at times with one or both of two Celtics rookies, former LSU star Glen "Big Baby" Davis and ex-USC guard Gabe Pruitt — both, like Fesenko, second-round selections in last June's NBA Draft.

Either way, the Flash — who already expect to have former Jazz training camper and Washington Wizards big man James Lang, an Expansion Draft selection, on their roster — would be thrilled to have an active NBA player for their first season in the league.

"It would be huge for us," said Andersen, whose club will select 10th in the opening round of the Nov. 1 D-League Draft. "We want to see these guys."