Don’t look now, but the Boston Celtics are quietly surging after having won seven of their last 10 games. That has helped to propel them up the Eastern Conference standings, with them currently third in the east.
Better still, they are still expecting to have superstar Jayson Tatum back at some point this season, increasing the need for them to make a big move to try and bolster their roster ahead of his return.
Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner could soon hit the trade market if Giannis Antetokounmpo is moved. If that is the case, then the Celtics could and should be the first team to make a call to the Bucks.
Myles Turner would be the perfect fit for the Boston Celtics
There are few big men in the NBA who can both block nearly two shots and hit two threes per game, and Turner is one of the few that can. He is also only 29 years old and under contract for the next 3 years after the season.
He may be slightly overpaid, but he’d solve their center problem long-term. As far as a potential trade, the Celtics could ship out Anfernee Simons and two first-round picks for Turner.
That might appeal to the Bucks, who wouldn’t have much need for Turner if they’re going into rebuild mode. In fact, they could seek to get off of his big contract if they expect to have a long rebuild. Simons being on an expiring contract would help, and he could even be re-traded if acquired well before the trade deadline.
Getting potentially two first-round picks from the Celtics would help the Bucks to restock their nearly empty draft stockpile, with them having no first-round pick of their own going forward.
The Celtics could quickly return to contention with Myles Turner
For the Celtics, Turner has plenty of playoff experience and is still young enough to be a part of the Celtics’ core going forward.
With him under contract for the next 3 years, they won’t have to worry about paying him the big bucks—see what I did there– for the foreseeable future. He also seemingly fits like a glove with the Celtics’ play style, which prioritizes spacing and relies on shooting plenty of threes.
Defensively he certainly wouldn’t hurt their second-ranked offensive rating, while also helping to improve their 17th-ranked defense. Even with below-average defense, they have been surprisingly good at limiting points in the paint and even rank second in blocks.
Putting Turner in the starting lineup could be just what they need to skip past the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons in the East. Given how weak the East is this season, adding Turner could make a surprisingly huge impact, and the Celtics should be itching to land him.
