Boston Celtics Receive: C Myles Turner, F Jeremy Lamb, F Doug McDermott, UTA 2021 2nd Round Pick (Via IND)
Indiana Pacers Receive: G Kemba Walker, G Javonte Green
While they did sign Tristan Thompson this offseason, the Boston Celtics have long been linked to Myles Turner trade rumors, and being able to get him would solidify this team as one of the top teams not just in the Eastern Conference, but the entire NBA.
Since entering the league in 2015, Myles Turner has been one of the best defensive centers in the entire league, averaging 2.1 blocks over the course of his career. Being an avid shot-blocker and a threat to have a double-double every night would change the dynamic of the Boston Celtics on both the offensive end and defensive end of the court for the better.
As mentioned earlier, Boston has had their struggles in terms of bench depth over the years as well, as they have consistently had one of the worst benches in the entire league. Acquiring two veteran guys in Jeremy Lamb and Doug McDermott could do wonders for the Celtics bench and gives them two reliable, double-figure scorers to call upon.
Over the course of his career, McDermott has shot 40.9% from three-point range on 1258 attempts. He is a big time shooting threat on the wing and can open up the Celtics offense a lot. Much like McDermott, Jeremy Lamb is also a scoring threat on the wing, but does it a little differently.
Lamb is a pretty consistent three-point shooter, shooting 33.9% from deep over the course of his 8-year career, but is a gifted scorer driving to the rim. He has always been known to be an above-average athlete and uses his skills to drive past his defenders, typically in one-on-one situations.
From Indiana’s perspective, they would be giving up a solid amount of depth and their rim protector underneath, but Kemba Walker can be a big time addition to this backcourt as they do not have a true, reliable point guard. Both Victor Oladipo and Malcolm Brogdon are score-first type of guards and not as strong of facilitators as Kemba is.
Walker is a floor general and this is exactly what the Indiana Pacers need in order to be a legit championship contender in the East. They have the personnel to make a deep playoff run, but the Pacers need a true leader on the court, especially with T.J. Warren out now indefinitely.
Let’s take a closer look as to why this trade makes sense for both the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers.
