Boston Celtics: B/R has Victor Oladipo heading to Cs in latest trade piece

In Bleacher Report’s latest trade article, writer Zach Buckley has All-Star Victor Oladipo making his way to the Boston Celtics.

It should come as no surprise that, when there’s an All-Star rumored to be on the trading block in the NBA, the Boston Celtics are typically attached in one way or another.

From the whole Kawhi Leonard-fiasco during the summer of 2018 to last offseason’s Anthony Davis drama, it always appears that the Cs are viewed as desirable landing spots for the league’s top talents.

This offseason has proven to be no different.

The most recent top-billed talent rumored to be on his way towards a breakup with his current team is Indiana Pacers All-Star shooting guard, Victor Oladipo. Seemingly at an impasse with the front office in regard to a long-term agreement, the two parties may wind up calling it quits on the remaining year left on the 28-year-old’s deal and ship him out for assets to build around their second All-Star, Domantas Sabonis.

There are many teams that could prove to be viable landing spots for Oladipo and, as we alluded to earlier, the Celtics have made their way onto such a list. In the past, we here at HH have concocted hypothetical trade scenarios to land the seven-year veteran. Recently, Bleacher Report decided to take a stab at the idea themselves.

In an article entitled Superstar Trades to Help Contenders Catch LeBron and the Lakers, writer Zach Buckley proposed a deal between the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics that saw Oladipo heading to Beantown.

The deal:

Buckley’s reasoning as to why both teams could do this read as follows:

"A healthy Oladipo is a more dynamic player than anyone the Celtics would be parting with in this deal. When he’s right, he has no major weaknesses and several top-shelf strengths (on-ball defense, slashing and shot-creation). Then, Boston would also get Turner to shore up its center rotation, and his 35.7 career three-point percentage ensures he wouldn’t spoil the offense’s spacing. Leaf would make the money work, and maybe he can prove worth developing.This could effectively take what Boston already does well and elevate it, all while addressing its biggest need for more resistance at the rim. It’d be a costly core for the Celtics, but that will be the case regardless of how they surround Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker.The Pacers, meanwhile, might be bracing for a change of direction. Oladipo is down to his final season under contract and is reportedly “looking to move on this offseason,” per The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. Indiana might also be rethinking its jumbo-sized frontcourt after watching T.J. Warren thrive as a small-ball 4 in the bubble.Indiana probably doesn’t want a total tear-down, though, as this roster still runs heavy on good (and pricey) veterans. Hayward, an Indianapolis native, could team with Warren, Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon to lead an egalitarian attack. Smart might be one of the few players who could actually be a defensive upgrade over Oladipo, plus he’s finding ways to extend his impact to the offensive end."

With this trade, the Boston Celtics would boast a starting five of Kemba Walker, Victor Oladipo, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Myles Turner which, in turn, would easily be the best in the Eastern Conference.

While parting with Marcus Smart would be a tough pill to swallow, replacing him at the position with the likes of Oladipo would clearly be an upgrade in regard to talent — again, this is no slight at Smart but, frankly, the truth.

The Cs also get the likes of Turner, someone we have been hoping the team would target this offseason. At the sound, young age of 24-years-old the big man fits the time frame that Boston’s building blocks of Tatum and Brown are in, allowing the trio to grow and develop alongside one another.

In 2019-20, Turner put up impressive averages of 12.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and a whopping 2.1 blocks per game on 46 percent shooting from the floor and 34 percent shooting from deep. Despite the underrated season that Daniel Theis put forth, he would likely prove to be an upgrade at the pivot moving forward and, thus, would be a delightful acquisition for the franchise.

A win-win scenario it would seem on the surface — especially if Indiana believes Oladipo is a guarantee to leave already — and, in turn, this trade receives the Houdini’s stamp of approval!