NBA Rumors: Will Myles Turner end up with the Boston Celtics after Milwaukee's failure?

The Boston Celtics still aren't clear about the feasibility of Jayson Tatum's return this season. The forward suffered an Achilles tendon rupture in the past playoffs, and during the summer, the franchise dismantled a significant part of the team to fall below the demanding second salary apron. Everything pointed to this season being one of transition.

However, the script has taken an unexpected turn. After 25 games played, the Celtics are in third place in the Eastern Conference, a performance that has changed the project's context.

Although there is no official confirmation, the possibility of Tatum returning before the end of the season is starting to seem less remote. Brian Robb, from MassLive, asserts that "the possibility of Jayson Tatum returning at some point this season is becoming more realistic every day."

If that scenario unfolds, Boston knows they must be prepared to compete at the highest level, especially with potential playoffs ahead.

A center is the critical need after the summer adjustments

To aspire to more, the Celtics need to reinforce the center position. In the salary reduction process last summer, they traded Kristaps Porzingis and also lost Al Horford in free agency. The current interior rotation is far from the one that led them to the championship in 2024.

In this context, Zach Buckley, from Bleacher Report, has proposed an operation that would bring Myles Turner to Boston, provided the Milwaukee Bucks decide to start a reconstruction process.

The proposed trade would be as follows:

Boston Celtics would receive:

• Myles Turner

Milwaukee Bucks would receive:

• Anfernee Simons

• Josh Minott

• 2026 second-round draft pick (via Detroit, Milwaukee, or Orlando)

• 2031 first-round draft pick (top 3 protected)

A scenario tied to Giannis' future

This trade would only make sense if Giannis Antetokounmpo were to request a departure from Milwaukee, pushing the franchise into a reset process. The Bucks signed Turner last summer for four years and $108.9 million, in a deal that surprised the Indiana Pacers, his former team. Turner had been a key piece in two consecutive NBA Finals with Indiana, a period also marked by the absence this season of Tyrese Haliburton, also injured in the Achilles tendon.

For the Celtics, Turner's arrival would fill an obvious void in the paint. After the exits of Porzingis and Horford, the interior game has been greatly weakened. Buckley argues that if Tatum returns, Boston should "surround him with a team capable of competing at the highest level when that time comes," and Turner would be a direct response to that need. From Milwaukee's perspective, the trade would primarily serve to rid themselves of Turner's $108 million contract and also add a first-round pick. Anfernee Simons' contract expires, and he is not having a good season in Boston.

Josh Minott, on the other hand, is an athletic power forward with great energy and defensive capability to shift in matchups. Selected in the second round, he is in his fourth year in the NBA and averages 19 minutes this season within the Celtics' rotation. His contract includes a team option for the next season worth $2.5 million, a manageable figure that could be attractive to the Bucks in the medium term.