Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

When Ainge finally hit the demolition button on the New Big Three-centric Celtics there was an unspoken agreement between the team and its fans that it was going to take five or six seasons to restore the luster to the NBA’s most storied franchise. The Celtics were starting over. Patience wasn’t a virtue, but a necessity.

The indefatigable Ainge will pursue every option and entertain any idea to hit fast-forward on that timeline. But short of getting three No. 1 picks in four years and the guilt-laden best player on the planet landing back in your lap like the Cleveland Cavaliers it’s hard to shortcut the circle of life in the NBA. And recycling the summer of 2007 plan that brought together Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen is not an option.

Celtics fans, your team will be contenders before Widett Circle undergoes a metamorphosis to Midtown Boston and the Parade of Nations comes marching into the nouveau neighborhood’s disposable Olympic Stadium. But some patience is required.

Globe: It may not look like it, but Celtics construction plan is on schedule

Hilarious Animal House reference aside, I agree with this piece. The Celtics are now officially entering Year 3 of the rebuild, and I think the general rule of thumb going into something like this is a 5-year plan.

Of course it’s one thing to say it, and it’s another to have the patience to sit through 5 seasons that slowly escalate from crap to mediocre to semi-decent. The slog gets old, and we’ve grown to be quite an impatient society. We get irrationally pissed off at 30 second YouTube pre-roll ads because we can’t skip them after 5.

WHAT THE… YOU MEAN I HAVE TO SIT HERE FOR 25 MORE SECONDS???? AHHHHHHH

But here we are, heading into year 3 with allegedly the 4th best young core in basketball, a whiz-kid coach, and a GM with sack full a bullets and itchy trigger finger ready to find a trade target. There’s a lot more light in the Celtics’ future than there is darkness.

Maybe next summer isn’t the year Boston gets the big free agent. Yeah, Kevin Durant and LeBron James are both going to be on the market, but LeBron isn’t really going anywhere, and Durant is probably staying put or going home to Washington. That’s about it.

BUT…

Maybe the Celtics should be rooting for Durant to leave, even if it isn’t to Boston. Sam Presti is nothing if not pragmatic, and he’ll see the Thunder’s chances a title slip considerably with Durant’s departure. Russell Westbrook will be a free agent in the summer of ’17, so maybe, just maybe, losing Durant might cause Presti to shop Westbrook around as he heads into a contract year.

The Celtics have plenty of guards, and plenty of picks… even if they make their picks in this next draft, they’ll still have two more from Brooklyn and a bevy of young talent. Presti is no Jordan… he’ll listen to a good offer of young players and picks. He LOVES young players and picks. He can sell Clay Bennett on a faster-than-usual rebuild, get maximum value for Westbrook, and the Celtics will have their foundational player.

Wait… what just happened?

Anyway… there are ways for the Celtics to become contenders over the next couple of years. The draft night trade didn’t work because future draft picks are damn near impossible to trade on draft night, and Michael Jordan is not good at his current job.

If the Celtics are still here in the summer of ’17, then I’ll lead the torch-and-pitchfork charge myself. But they probably won’t be.

Page 2: Expect RJ Hunter to officially sign next week

The Celtics are expected to sign first-round pick R.J. Hunter to a contract early next week, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

The Celtics have historically offered first-round picks the full 120 percent of the rookie salary scale, meaning the No. 28 overall pick is expected to receive a four-year, $5.86 million deal — roughly $860,412 more than the record-breaking deal second-round pick Jordan Mickey signed Monday. Hunter is expected to be a restricted free agent in 2019, when the Celtics can offer him a $3.37 million qualifying offer.

WEEI: Source: Hunter expected to sign next week

The difference between Hunter’s deal and Mickey’s is that Mickey will be unrestricted in 2019… a key distinction if he becomes a big contributor to this team.

Let’s just pretend Hunter and Mickey both pan out and the Celtics have a pair of guys they’ll want to keep moving forward. Hunter will be easier to retain because the Celtics will be able to match offers made to him. Mickey will be unrestricted, so should he choose to, or should some team decide to overpay, he could walk on his own.

I know that might strike the fear of God into some of you right now, but this is where I’ll remind you that (a) we don’t know if they’ll get so good that we’ll care if they leave and (b) if they are that good, the Celtics may do what they can to lock them both up without much outside influence.

But it’s there, and it’s a distinction, and it’s something to watch for over the years.

Related links:  CSNNE: Hunter expected to sign multi-year deal

And Finally…

In case you missed it, the Pacers will be wearing some Hickory High uniforms this season to honor the 30th anniversary of Hoosiers. That’s a fun little thing to do…

Did George Hill specifically color his hair to match the uniform for the photo shoot?  And do they also get to wear the gold lame’ warmups?

The rest of the links:

CSNNE: Kendrick Perkins signs with New Orleans  |  Pierce: This is probably my last ride  |  Celtics’ quick fix might be running with the Bulls  |  ESPN Boston: Why Thornton is going down under  |  Who’s the odd man out?