A Myles Turner trade the Boston Celtics must consider pursuing

To say the Boston Celtics need to make some sort of move in the near future would be an absolute understatement for, frankly, every day they hold their current core group together the farther they continue to fall from their preseason expectations of being legitimate playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Yes, some may wish to go and point out the fact that the most prominent reason for their lackluster campaign thus far has been due to a myriad of health issues, particularly to the second half of the Jay duo in Jaylen Brown but, even still, it’s hard to argue that with both All-Stars on the court this team would be all that much better — in fact, it’s already been somewhat proven that the Cs have still struggled when both Tatum and Brown have played.

So, with this in mind, we at the Houdini, along with many others found amongst the fanbase and within the media, believe Boston must look to make some sort of splash via trade to help bolster the supporting cast around the team’s two cornerstones, and one player, in particular, seems to not only be available but also someone who could make a big difference for the shamrocks if acquired.

That player: Myles Turner.

Recently, it was announced that the Indiana Pacers could very likely be heading towards tearing their roster to shreds after getting off to a truly mediocre 12-16 start through the first 28 games of action and, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the big man could be a player they are “receptive” to taking on trade talks for (subscription required).

On top of this, what makes a Turner trade perhaps all the more likely are his recent comments in an interview with The Athletic (subscription required) stating his displeasure with his role in Indiana, and his desire to be used as an integral part of a team:

"“It’s clear that I’m not valued as anything more than a glorified role player here, and I want something more, more opportunity,” Turner said. “I’m trying really hard to make the role that I’m given here work and find a way to maximize it. I’ve been trying to the past two, three seasons. But it’s clear to me that, just numbers-wise, I’m not valued as more than a rotational role player, and I hold myself in a higher regard than that.”"

Between his words, coupled with Indiana’s reported openness to dealing him, perhaps we could be seeing a parting of ways between the two parties at some point in the near future, and the Boston Celtics should be seen as a team that could help expedite the process.

Over the past few seasons now we have been shouting from the mountain tops about how Myles Turner could be a tremendous addition to the C’s rotation and, not so long ago, the folks at Bleacher Report backed up this sentiment, stating that the team should have traded for the center last season.

With him currently being on the outs with the Pacers organization coupled with the fact that the Boston Celtics must strongly consider making some rotational changes, perhaps now would be the ideal time for the team’s front office to finally strike a deal where the big man packs his bags and heads to Eastern Massachusetts.

Though a trade involving the Celtics bringing on a difference-maker to the rotation whilst utilizing one of their TPEs would certainly be the ideal move, they should not be opposed to taking part in a transaction that falls outside of these parameters, and one involving Myles Turner would be exactly that.

Fortunately, Brad Stevens and co. putting together the pieces to match his $18 million salary wouldn’t be all that challenging, and below we present to you a trade package that we believe could get the job done.

We’re almost positive that half of you who read this proposed deal will automatically be infuriated by the fact that we have Robert Williams being shipped off to the Pacers but, typically speaking, it takes talent to get back talent and, while he’s a fan favorite, Time Lord being involved makes this deal unequivocally plausible.

Through 19 games played this season, the 24-year-old finds himself putting up career-bests seemingly all across the board during his first season as a full-time starter for the Boston Celtics.

Logging 27.8 minutes a night, Williams is boasting per-game averages of 9.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.7 blocks on a stellar 74 percent shooting from the field.

However, while he has been a solid contributor for the Cs throughout the season, unfortunately, it must be stated that he has still left plenty to be desired and is a player that still needs to prove he can show out on a consistent basis.

Now, this is not to say that he doesn’t have the potential to be a legitimate franchise five at some point in his career — in fact, we believe he absolutely does.

That said, based on where the Boston Celtics currently find themselves, they need someone who can provide what Williams does but on a much more consistent level while also contributing to other facets of the game when on the court, which is why Myles Turner would be a great player to look to upgrade their pivot spot with.

Equally as lethal of a rim protector/ shot swatter, the Indiana big man has sent back the most balls in the association so far this season with a grand total of 73 blocks, which is 13 more than the second place holder in this category, Mo Bamba (we at HH love you, Mo).

On top of this, we see Turner putting up truly impressive per-game averages of 12.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks all while showcasing his improving floor spacing abilities, converting on 53 percent of his looks from the floor and on just shy of 40 percent of his shots from deep, nearly all of which are better and more efficient/ well-rounded marks than what Robert Williams is putting up.

With him as the starting center, the Boston Celtics would finally be able to role out a 21st-century offensive gameplan that involves legitimate five-out sets, thus almost certainly aiding in the improvement of the team’s 22nd ranked 3-point conversion rate whilst not having it negatively interfere with their rebounding efforts and defensive game, for Turner is equally as good, if not better than Williams in both of these areas.

To sweeten the pot, alongside Robert Williams the Boston Celtics would also be sending Juan Hernangomez to bring the money a bit closer (also next season is non-guaranteed) and Romeo Langford, the Indiana native that became a lottery selection back in 2019 after showing out during his one and done freshman campaign at Indiana University who now, in year three, is showing solid signs of improvement within his game and could serve as a possible developmental piece for the Pacers’ rebuild, as he’s still just 22-years-old and showcasing solid two-way potential.