Boston Celtics: B/R still down on ‘botched’ Myles Turner deal

While the Boston Celtics did manage to muster together a solid offseason in the end, Bleacher Report still believes the team should have landed Myles Turner.

The Boston Celtics come into the 2020-21 season with similarly high-expectations as they did last year.

After making it all the way to within two games of the 2020 NBA Finals, the Cs are likely to be hungry to get over the hump within the Eastern Conference and advance to their first championship round in over a decade.

This offseason, despite not living up to all of the lofty expectations fans and media alike had for the franchise, they still managed to piece together a quality offseason and, in turn, put themselves right back into the mix of elite teams in the NBA.

That said, if one were to try and point out a black mark from this past in-between season period, it would likely be the reported failed sing-and-trade attempt between the Boston Celtics and Indian Pacers involving Gordon Hayward.

According to sources, at the beginning of free agency Indiana was the preferred destination for the former All-Star. As the two front offices went about discussing the logistics of executing such a move, it is rumored to be the case that C’s General Manager, Danny Ainge, got “greedy”, for he wanted more than just the reported initial offer of Myles Turner & Doug McDermott and, instead, wanted Victor Oladipo to be apart of the trade.

In the days after this news broke, Hayward broke away from this potential deal and landed a four-year, $120 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets.

While the Celtics did wind up landing themselves the biggest trade exception in league history ($28.5 M), many are still upset over the reported ‘botched’ attempt to strike a deal with Indiana.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes still feels disdain for the ordeal, citing that Turner very well could have proven to be that missing piece within Boston’s rotation.

"Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner, reportedly available in a sign-and-trade agreement for Hayward, would have been an ideal fit on Boston’s front line. His mobility, stretch and rim protection would have opened up the Celtics offense to degrees heretofore unseen while also adding an element of interior defense Daniel Theis, bless him, can’t match.Turner is imperfect. He can’t post up switches and struggles to rebound his position. But you don’t expect perfection from a player making $18 million per season. That’s “quality starter” money, and Turner is a quality starter—one who would have fit particularly in Boston.Yes, that TPE gives the Celtics options. And if saving cash is a priority, they don’t have to use it at all. But unless thriftiness was the sole motivation, it’s hard to understand how Boston determined that Indy sign-and-trade was a worse return than a trade exception that might prove useful if the right circumstances arise at some point this season.Boston is good enough to view itself as being one player away from a title. It’s a stretch to say Turner is definitely that player, but there’s a decent chance he is."

Yes, many fans will attest that, in the end, it was Hayward’s decision as to where he would sign in free agency, as his status was unrestricted. Without a doubt, this aforementioned sentiment is correct.

That said, where there’s smoke there’s generally fire.

Being that people around the league reportedly stated that Indiana was Gordon Hayward’s preferred destination, it’s far too possible that the Boston Celtics, in the end, actually did wind up botching this transaction, leaving fans with the disappointing mindset of “what could have been” if they wound up landing Myles Turner and, in turn, were thrusting him into the starting lineup for opening day.