The Celtics’ summer in the frontcourt says a lot about how Joe Mazzulla actually wants his team built.
Boston has long leaned into spacing, and Mazzulla has had no shortage of bigs who can stretch the floor. Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, Grant Williams, Luka Garza, Nikola Vucevic, Mike Muscala and even Blake Griffin all fit some version of that mold. So when Myles Turner came up as a possibility, the question was obvious: why didn’t the Celtics make a move?
That idea had circulated more than once this offseason, especially if Turner was included in the kind of package that also brought Giannis Antetokounmpo. There were even whispers that Boston could still have been in the mix for Turner after the Greek Freak was traded.
The Bucks, meanwhile, reportedly had their own problem. Per ESPN’s Ben Golliver, they couldn’t find a new home for Turner.
"Though Antetokounmpo's exit was preceded by years of trade rumors, the Bucks didn't slide smoothly into a rebuilding effort... They haven't yet found a taker for Myles Turner, who was signed to a four-year, $107 million contract last summer in a failed attempt to appease Antetokounmpo," Golliver wrote.
Turner’s profile is easy to understand. He’s an expensive two-way big who can hit threes and protect the rim. On paper, that sounds useful for almost any team trying to play modern basketball.
But Boston’s hesitation makes more sense once you zoom out from the three-point line.
The Celtics have not only valued floor spacing from their bigs. They’ve also gotten real mileage from players who clean up misses on the offensive glass. That part of the equation matters in Mazzulla’s system because it creates extra possessions and, in turn, more chances to launch threes.
Neemias Queta and Luka Garza were both part of that last season, and Boston’s offense stayed among the league’s best in part because of what they did on the boards. Queta, in particular, gave Turner a rough time in their head-to-head matchups.
That’s where Turner’s appeal takes a hit. He does not give Boston the same offensive rebounding punch, while Queta and Garza do. And now the Celtics have added Mitchell Robinson, one of the best offensive rebounders ever.
So while Turner would not have been a bad fit, Boston’s decision not to chase him shows Mazzulla Ball is bigger than just hoisting threes. Offensive rebounding is part of the formula too, and if it weren’t, Turner might be wearing green right now instead of Robinson. That’s the clearest sign yet that Mazzulla’s approach is more layered than the simple label suggests.
In Other News...
Jaylen Brown Trade Debate Just Took On New Meaning For Celtics Fans
The Pistons standoff with Jalen Duren is the kind of offseason mess Celtics fans know all too well, because it brings back the logic behind Bostons decision to move on from Jaylen Brown before he ever reached extension eligibility. Boston was not just thinking about talent in a vacuum. The front office was looking at the larger picture, where a young players next contract can change the direction of a roster and force hard choices about the rest of the payroll.
For Celtics followers, the comparison lands because it goes beyond a simple talent-for-talent debate. Brown was good enough to raise the stakes, but the teams move was also about avoiding the kind of internal conflict and cap squeeze that can linger for years. With Duren now in the middle of his own negotiation fight, the old Brown debate suddenly feels less like hindsight and more like a reminder of how quickly a promising core can turn into a financial decision. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Could Face A Fast Paul George Reckoning In Boston
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Now the conversation has moved a step further, with one speculative idea floating around that would send George to Brooklyn for Julius Randle and Terance Mann if things go south quickly. It is the kind of contingency talk that underscores how fragile this setup can be for the Celtics: if George does not hold up or produce, Boston could be forced into an early rethink of a trade that was supposed to reshape the roster, not reopen it. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Walsh Is Forcing A Tough Celtics Rotation Question
Jordan Walsh spent much of last season in a limited role, but he still found ways to stand out on the defensive end. BBall Index ranked him among the NBAs top-5 point-of-attack defenders, a notable mark for a player who played fewer than 18 minutes per game and was often asked to handle the toughest perimeter assignments. Even in the playoffs, he drew difficult matchups and showed why Boston kept leaning on his energy and length when the game demanded it.
The real question now is whether Walsh can turn that defensive trust into a larger place in the Celtics rotation. Boston already knows what it has when hes locked in on that end, and the next step is making sure his offense gives the staff enough reason to keep him on the floor more often. If that development comes, Walsh could move from a matchup piece to a much more regular part of the picture. [Read more 🡒]