As the 2021 trade deadline draws closer, several interesting trade ideas have started to surface. These include a hypothetical three-team blockbuster deal involving Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors, Kemba Walker of the Boston Celtics, and Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers.
In the proposed trade scenario by Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, the Celtics would get Lowry and Aron Baynes, the Raptors would receive Turner, Jeremy Lamb, Aaron Holiday, and a 2021 second-round pick, while the Pacers would acquire Walker, Terence Davis, Romeo Langford and a 2021 first-round pick.
Celtics Sacrifice Kemba Walker To Boost Championship Odds
Though it would cost them Walker, a young player, and two future draft assets, the suggested trade could be good for the Celtics. By sacrificing all those assets, they would be adding two quality players that might boost their chances of winning a title in the 2020-21 NBA season.
Lowry is arguably upgrade over Walker at the Celtics’ point guard position. Though he’s four years older, Lowry is more durable than Walker and has plenty of playoff experience. This season, the 34-year-old point guard is averaging 17.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Aron Baynes Solves Celtics’ Frontcourt Problem
Baynes may have been a huge disappointment in Toronto, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the same thing would happen if he returns to Boston this season. Provided he’s given enough playing time, Baynes is arguably capable of helping the Celtics fill the big hole in their frontcourt.
He could give the Celtics a defensive-minded big man who is capable of knocking down shots from beyond the arc. Having a floor-spacing big man like Baynes could be beneficial for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as it would make it easier for them to penetrate the basket or kick the ball out when they are trapped by the opposing team’s defense.
Myles Turner Joins Raptors’ Core In Post-Kyle Lowry Era
The proposed trade scenario could also make a lot of sense for the Raptors. Instead of taking the risk of losing Lowry in the 2021 free agency period without getting anything in return, the potential deal would allow them to turn his expiring contract into a quality big man that perfectly fits the timeline of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Norman Powell.
“Myles Turner would be the perfect way to round out the starting group,” Buckley wrote. “He’s basically a turbo-boosted version of Chris Boucher—much more established, much more stable (in terms of both reliability and actual bulk). Plug Turner into the middle, and Toronto’s 22nd-ranked defense would rocket up the rankings. Jeremy Lamb and Aaron Holiday would help give depth to this top-heavy roster.”
Pacers Address Frontcourt Logjam While Improving Backcourt
Meanwhile, the potential deal could allow the Pacers to hit two birds with one stone. Aside from successfully addressing the logjam in their frontcourt, they would also be adding an All-Star-caliber point guard to the backcourt. Walker may have gone through plenty of ups and downs with the Celtics, but if he could stay healthy and mesh well with Domantas Sabonis, TJ Warren, Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert, Buckley believes that the Pacers’ production would be “overpowering.”
Aside from Walker, the potential deal would also enable the Pacers to add two young players that they could develop in Davis and Langford and a future first-round selection in the 2021 draft.
