New York Knicks Receive: C Myles Turner
Indiana Pacers Receive: C Mitchell Robinson, F Obi Toppin, NYK 2022 1st Round Pick (Unprotected), DET 2023 2nd Round Pick
At first glance, this trade does not seem too favorable for the Pacers, but Myles Turner’s value is not very high, nor very low. He is viewed as a very average trade asset right now league-wide solely because of the fact that he has been injury prone and not utilized much offensively for the Pacers.
He is still an above-average talent, do not get me wrong, but tradewise, the Pacers are not going to be getting top-notch talents/assets for him if they look to move him. Mitchell Robinson and Obi Toppin are both high-potential, young talents who could definitely benefit the Pacers if they look to move on from Turner.
Mitchell Robinson only played in 31 games this past season due to suffering numerous injuries one after the other, but he led the league in field goal percentage during the 2019-20 season and has the potential to be a very effective big man on both ends of the court as he continues to grow.
Obi Toppin, the 8th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, did not play much for the Knicks last season due to Julius Randle having a breakout year, but he has been fantastic in Summer League for New York out in Las Vegas. In five Summer League games, Toppin has averaged 23.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and has shot 45.9% from the floor, while also showcasing his ability to also knock down shots from the perimeter.
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The 6’9” power-forward is an extremely athletic and lengthy player who has shown flashes of his full potential. In time, Toppin could be a very strong player in this league, but he needs to be given the opportunity to do so. Right now, the Knicks frontcourt is very crowded, so he may not be able to make as much of an impact as he could there to that in which he could with the Indiana Pacers.
The Knicks do not necessarily need to make this move to trade for Myles Turner, as they already have a strong roster to contend in the Eastern Conference with next season, but adding Turner to their rotation definitely makes them a strong team. Is this deal worthwhile for them though, especially given the talent and assets they would have to give up to acquire the Pacers’ big man?
