Boston Celtics: Evaluating 2 blockbuster trades to land Victor Oladipo

Boston Celtics blockbuster deal No. 2) Total lineup upheaval

This would be the granddaddy of all Oladipo/ Celtics trades, at least of any that don’t include their three top scorers. Of course, this deal is one that would need to be compartmentalized into different pieces, because it is quite the doozy.

Having already addressed the merits of an Oladipo/Hayward swap, this deal differs in how seismic the lineup changes would be to both teams.

From the Boston side, Oladipo and Myles Turner would directly replace Hayward and Daniel Theis in the starting five, giving the lineup more finishing power at the rim. This transaction also consolidates the roster and gives the Cs a better chance to develop the 2019 and 2020 draft classes —  only one pick would go to Indy in the deal, giving Boston two incoming rookies.

For Indiana, a lot of firepower would be coming their way with all three players proving capable of starting on a contender for much of the last year. Daniel Theis can slide in next to Sabonis or be the first big man off the bench, while Marcus Smart could be the starting shooting guard with Jeremy Lamb as his primary competition.

Losing Smart and Theis would compromise Boston’s defensive identity, but the ceiling for the team as constructed is clear. What isn’t clear is how high a rotation consisting of Kemba-Dipo-JB-Tatum-Turner can fly.