Everyone seems to be either suggesting Ainge decided to blow it up OR Doc decided he wanted out which was the impetus to this firestorm. But what if it really was Wyc?
What if Ainge was OK with running it back another year, suggesting there aren't deals to make out there that change our organization, but Wyc said there is NO way he is paying luxury tax, etc. for a mediocre 7 seed, so Pierce has to go. If Ainge received an ultimatum that Pierce is gone, he's stuck, that's it.
So then (1) he talks to KG, and what if, contrary to Jackie's story, KG refuses to play without his boy Pierce. Doc hears this, and after careful deliberation, despite what he said 2 years ago, he decides he doesn't have the energy and commitment to dedicate to a rebuilding job so he's either broadcasting or joining a KG-team?
OR (2) KG is fine with playing provided the team is competitive and Doc is coach, but Doc thinks about the "loyalty" and "committment" he made to the Celtics, and starts thinking about how THE TRUTH is a rare superstar who did not demand a trade and did not **** and moan and did not try to get his coach fired in the lean years in the mid 2000s. And the Celtics are repaying him by cutting him yet still going to try to field a competitive enough team for KG and Doc, and Doc decides, the Celtics are breaking their loyalty to Pierce, so I'm breaking my loyalty to them (and remaining loyal to Pierce).
I think EITHER of these scenarios is very likely. I also think it's possible Wyc told Ainge he's fine with anything including paying tax as long as they are competitive and remain competitive, and wanting to keep his job in Boston, Ainge decides not to mortgage the future and see if he can rebuild on the fly again. Or Doc got bored and greedy.
But before suggesting we should hate Ainge for taking a bad deal, or hating KG/Doc for being disloyal...let's just take a seat and consider the disloyalty that may have been hurled from Celtics ownership straight to the most loyal Celtic on the team - Paul Pierce.