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Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Gordon Hayward experienced a minor setback in his recovery recently but said the team remains encouraged by the progress he has made in rehabbing from a fractured ankle. "[Hayward] had like one setback for a couple of weeks, maybe a month and a half ago. We were progressing a little bit too fast, we thought," Ainge told the "Toucher & Rich" program during his weekly appearance on Boston sports radio 98.5 the SportsHub. "But, other than that, his work ethic and his determination have been amazing. "I don't want to get people's hopes up. He still is not back on the basketball court and we have a month left in the regular season. He's got a ways to go but we're excited about his progress and his determination." Hayward's setback might offer an explanation why, earlier this month, Celtics coach Brad Stevens was as emphatic as he's been in suggesting that Hayward will not return this year. For his part, Hayward still refuses to shut the door on the possibility. "The hope [of a return] is still there. It's something where I'm really honestly not even thinking about it," Hayward said during an appearance at a community event on Monday in Boston. "I know we're getting toward the end of the year, it's something that I'm still working toward, but if it doesn't happen it doesn't happen. "My thoughts are that I take it day by day. And I said that from the very beginning, that's what I would do, not putting a timetable on it. The recovery is going well, I'm progressing well." During his radio appearance, Ainge was also asked about the knee soreness that All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving has experienced lately and whether that might require a surgical procedure down the road. "He has a surgery that may need to happen," Ainge told the SportsHub. "But maybe not this summer, maybe the following summer or maybe the summer after that. I think that he could probably do it any time he wanted, but I'm not sure that it's needed at this moment." Irving has said he hopes he doesn't require any offseason procedure. Irving fractured his kneecap during the 2015 NBA Finals and Ainge admitted that lingering knee issues were something the Celtics were aware of when they traded for Irving. "Kyrie had the injury, I don't know now, two and a half years ago, three years ago. So we knew there would be maintenance issues, but his long-term prognostication is good," Ainge told the SportsHub. "He's going to have some maintenance issues here and there. We knew coming into this year that he probably wasn't going to be an 82-game guy. He was going to be a 72- to 75-game guy in order to keep him fresh for the playoffs and that's what it's been. "We're just extra cautious. We have the good fortune of being extra cautious right now. We want him fresh and healthy and we think that he will be come playoff time." Stevens said Wednesday night that Irving could return to action on Boston's upcoming two-game road trip, though he deemed him "unlikely" for Friday's game in Orlando. The Celtics played without six players during Wednesday's loss to the Wizards. Al Horford is expected back Friday after missing two games due to illness. Irving should be back soon and Jaylen Brown is expected to start the return-to-action concussion protocol this weekend with hopes of being back on the floor as early as next week. Ainge noted that Marcus Smart was in New York on Thursday seeking a second opinion on an injured thumb that could require season-ending surgery. Smart is giving the thumb time to heal and exploring options that might allow him to continue playing this season. Forward Daniel Theis was scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn meniscus on Thursday.
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