The Boston Celtics were expected to be in a tank season without Jayson Tatum; they’ve done quite the opposite. They’re 15-11 and fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Neemias Queta has been holding it down in the middle, but if the Celtics are really serious about contending, they’ll need an upgrade at the five. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley believes the Celtics can do it by trading for Milwaukee Bucks two-time block champ Myles Turner.
MORE: Bucks expected to go all-in on final stand to retain Giannis Antetokounmpo amid floundering season
The trade would look like this:
Celtics get: C Myles Turner
Bucks get: G Anfernee Simons, F Josh Minott, 2026 second-round pick (via DET, MIL or ORL) and 2031 first-round pick (top-3 protected)
“If Boston has a sense that Tatum can come back during this campaign, then it has to address its underwhelming mix of centers. Aiming for a prize as rich as Turner would be costly, but having someone who can anchor the defensive interior and improve the offensive spacing is an awfully rich reward,” Buckley wrote.
This season, Turner is averaging 12.2 points, 5.5 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks in 28.6 minutes per game. He’s also a great shooter, hitting 38% of his shots from deep.
In a Celtics offense where the three is heavily relied upon, he could blossom. In the past, when the C’s had five shooters on the floor, they were basically unstoppable, leading them to winning the NBA Finals in 2024.
However, this trade won’t be in the realm of possibility until the trade deadline. The C’s need to make sure they are really in playoff contention; if they are, this would be the move to make, along with letting Tatum return.
MORE NBA CONTENT
Sixers 16.2 PPG guard predicted to cut ties with Philadelphia, enter free agency this offseason
Celtics reveal disappointing Jayson Tatum injury update amid strong playoff push from Boston