Boston Celtics: 3 ways Cs can land both Jrue Holiday and Myles Turner

It seems every offseason the Boston Celtics are in the middle of NBA trade Rumors. Most recently, the names to have been linked to the team are Jrue Holiday and Myles Turner.

Before we get into it, let me say this: I’m not opposed to any of these trades for the Boston Celtics, but i’m also not pushing for them. This article isn’t to show my thoughts on these trades but, rather, give the viewer an inside look at what a deal for these two would look like.

With that said, here is how the trades for the Cs to land both Jrue Holiday and Myles Turner could break down.

Scenario one: 

In this deal, Jrue Holiday and Myles Turner will be dealt to the Boston Celtics, Gordon Hayward will be dealt to the Indiana Pacers along with Vincent Poirier. Just about everyone else mentioned is possible, but in order for the two players to come to Beantown, those are the main pieces that will be moved.

Here’s why.

Starting with what’s coming back to Boston, Jeremy Lamb is a simple money move. A bad contract that the Pacers wouldn’t mind getting rid of.

Lamb is a fine bench piece that may prove useful for the Celtics, but he is overpaid and Indiana certainly wouldn’t mind getting rid of the contract. In order to match Hayward’s money on his current contract (keyword: CURRENT CONTRACT), Indiana would have to send over more than Turner.

Lamb is the best combo of minimum value with a high salary and the Pacers wouldn’t mind moving him for basically nothing.

This deal could get done without Lamb, which to me seems like the most likely scenario, however, this would probably take away the option for Holiday. If Hayward elects to opt-out, and the Cs perform a sign and trade (say 3 years, $60 million for the forward), the money would match and Indiana wouldn’t have to give up Lamb.

Where this gets tricky is both teams will then have to operate under the hard cap under NBA cap rules.

Is it possible that they can still acquire Holiday? Yes, but it becomes much more difficult, and since this is strictly an article to a path for both, we’re avoiding the sign and trade dilemma.

Both the Pelicans and Pacers would have to be okay with a hard cap for 2020. If Hayward becomes a sign-and-trade, Holiday gets erased.

If you’re the Pelicans, this deal should intrigue you. On paper, Walker is the better player. A

Anytime you’re talking about landing a better player, and a top-15 draft pick, it shouldn’t take much convincing. Walker’s knee issues and contract would be the one thing that may get in the way, but if NOLA can look past that, you have a done deal on that end.

The Hayward-Indiana connection is obvious, and the Pacers have shown interest. The two late first-rounders are a little bit of a sweetener, and Poirier is a nice depth piece to a team that just lost their starting center. Recently, Poirier had also complained about his role with the team stating he didn’t want to “do another season at the end of the bench and applaud”.

If completed, the Celtics get the Hayward contract off the books, get a legit starting center, and also don’t have to worry about the final years of a Kemba’s max contract, as Holiday’s contract ends a year earlier than Walker’s.

They also get much better on defense.

Scenario two:

You’re looking at virtually the same trade, but inserting Marcus Smart instead of Kemba Walker.

Let’s say the Boston Celtics don’t want to trade away one of their biggest free-agent signings in history after one season. Marcus Smart becomes a viable replacement.

This could also be the Pelicans’ preferred choice if they plan on building for the future, as opposed to immediately trying to contend for a title.

A lineup featuring Marcus Smart, Lonzo Ball, Jaxson Hayes, Zion Williamson, and Brandon Ingram — assuming he re-signs — would be a matchup nightmare for opposing offenses. It would also be a young core.

For Boston, they also get to keep Walker if this deal falls through.

Scenario Three:

This trade could be the WIN NOW trade for the Boston Celtics, and the WIN LATER trade for the New Orleans Pelicans.

In all three of these proposed deals, the Paces would be giving up basically the same pieces in Turner and Lamb, but this trade gives New Orleans and Boston options.

What are the two things that have been the biggest needs in Beantown this offseason?

A big man and a sharpshooter.

Insert Turner and J.J. Redick. The Pelicans in this deal would give away Redick with only one year left on his deal, and in return would get another combo guard/forward who can fill multiple positions and provide depth off the bench.

They have the cap space for it and would be able to use Lamb in many ways.

All three of these deals would work financially, it’s just a matter of whether or not these teams want to pull the trigger.