Swingman Gordon Hayward was one of the more sought-after players on the market when NBA free agency started last week.
The Indiana Pacers were interested, and they offered the Boston Celtics, Hayward’s former team, a solid sign-and-trade offer.
“The Indiana Pacers offered the Boston Celtics Myles Turner, a first-round pick and a rotation player for Gordon Hayward last week, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told IndyStar,” wrote J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star.
As it turned out, Hayward, who had opted out of the final year of a huge contract, signed outright with the Charlotte Hornets for four years and $120 million. As a result, the Celtics got nothing in return.
On the other hand, Turner would’ve given Boston a young center who would’ve helped it contend for an NBA championship.
Turner is 6-foot-11 and weighs 250 pounds, and this past season, he averaged 12.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots in 29.5 minutes a game. He’s also a decent 3-point shooter.
The center position was a weakness for Boston this past season, and adding Turner would’ve helped address this weakness.
Instead, the Celtics went ahead and signed Tristan Thompson for two years and $19 million.
