BOSTON — During his tenure as Celtics president, Danny Ainge has developed a reputation as deal maker who pounces on opportunities.

He will forever be tethered to the coup he pulled off in the summer of 2007 to assemble the Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen just three years into the tenure of then-coach Doc Rivers.

No one is expecting Ainge to recreate that moment this summer, but with myriad draft picks and salary-cap space at his disposal, he isn’t shying away from the expectation that this offseason could be one of the most important in recent memory.

“We look forward to every offseason. This offseason is bigger,” Ainge said. “My expectations are high this offseason and yet I also know that it takes good fortune.”

Helping those fortunes along will be Boston’s eight draft picks this summer, including three in the first round. The eight picks are Boston’s most since 1987.

It not only will provide the Celtics with bargaining chips for potential trades, but the ability to “draft and stash” young players if they want, Ainge said.

A lot depends on what happens May 17 at the draft lottery. Boston owns the unprotected first-round pick of the Nets, which it got in the 2013 deal that sent Garnett and Pierce to Brooklyn.

The Nets finished with the third-worst record in the NBA, so they will hand the Celtics about a 16 percent chance of securing the No. 1 pick with it.

“We need the ping pong balls to bounce our way to give us the best opportunity, whether we use that pick or whether we trade that pick,” Ainge said. “And in free agency we have opportunities. That’s all we have.”

Depending on where they land, Ainge could package some of their later picks to move up or trade for future picks.

It’s all in play, and it’s why he’s anticipating a much busier lead-up to draft night in June – both in the number of players they bring in to evaluate and the conversations they have with teams around the league.

HEAT: Chris Bosh was ruled out for the rest of the season. Bosh has not played since the All-Star break after a blood clot was discovered in his left leg.

WEDNESDAY’S GAME

CAVALIERS 123, HAWKS 98: J.R. Smith made seven 3-pointers and host Cleveland drained an NBA-record 25 3s in a runaway win over Atlanta in Game 2 of their second-round series.

The Cavs made 18 3-pointers in the first half and added seven more after halftime to embarrass the Hawks, who have lost 10 straight postseason games to Cleveland.