Back in 2020, the Indiana Pacers reportedly offered the Boston Celtics big man Myles Turner and Doug McDermott, along with a future first-round pick, in a sign-and-trade for Gordon Hayward. Even though the trade never materialized, as Hayward would go on to sign with the Charlotte Hornets, Turner still brought elite two-way production that would have done wonders for a Celtics team in desperate need of a big man after the loss of Al Horford.
Fast forward to 2026, and Turner could be on the trade block once again. Also, the Celtics are in desperate need of a big man who can stretch the floor in head coach Joe Mazzulla's five-out offense.
The Celtics should look into trading for Myles Turner
Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens would be smart to revisit a Turner trade this offseason.
Turner, 30, just finished his 11th season in the NBA and once again proved he is one of the better two-way centers on a middling Milwaukee Bucks team. Turner played in 70+ games for the third straight season and averaged 12 points and five rebounds a night while shooting 38% from beyond the arc. On the defensive end, Turner also brought elite rim protection, averaging 1.5 blocks per game.
Adding the 6'11" Turner would give Mazzulla essentially another starting big man to spell Neemias Queta. The 26-year-old Queta surprised in his first season as a starter, averaging 10 points and eight rebounds to go along with one block a night. However, in Boston's first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, he was overmatched by Joel Embiid and was constantly in foul trouble.
Not only would Turner have been an upgrade over backup big man Nikola Vucevic, but he also has plenty of playoff experience, having reached the playoffs six times with an NBA Finals appearance last season with the Indiana Pacers.
Boston exceeded expectations in what many thought would be a down year this past season. The team parted ways with many of its veterans to avoid the luxury tax, including its entire big man rotation of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. After securing the second seed in the Eastern Conference, now is the time for Boston to strike and retool around its dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
As evidenced by the Celtics' 3-1 series collapse against the 76ers, this team needs more to get back into title contention, and Turner, with his ability to space the floor and provide elite rim protection, would be the perfect move to start the offseason.
A starting lineup of Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Brown, Tatum, and Turner would be one of the league's best on both sides of the ball and would make serious noise come the postseason. This is an opportunity that Stevens cannot afford to pass up.
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