Does this trade make sense for the Indiana Pacers?
As much as they do like the production that Myles Turner supplies them with on the defensive end of the court, the Indiana Pacers are going to wind up trading Turner at some point.
He just does not seem like someone they want to keep around long-term and with the Pacers just investing a lot of money into Malcolm Brogdon, it is going to be hard for them to do the same with Turner moving forward.
With one year left on his contract after this season, cutting ties with Myles Turner now for a guy like Jusuf Nurkic on an expiring contract could make the most sense for the Pacers. Right now, this organization has the assets to be a really strong team in the Eastern Conference, but injuries have derailed what they have been able to achieve through the years.
Now, T.J. Warren’s contract is expiring and they will not only have to make a decision about his future with the team but the future of Caris LeVert as well, who will be entering the final year of his contract next year.
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Jeremy Lamb’s $10.5M contract expiring at the end of this year definitely helps the Pacers financially, but this team is flirting with luxury tax land right now.
For a team that has not made it out of the first round of the playoffs since 2014 and missed the playoffs last year, the Pacers definitely do not want to be paying taxes for this team over the next few years, which is why they are going to have to cut someone loose.
Myles Turner seems like the “odd-man-out” right now and replacing him with Nurkic and Little on the wing is definitely not bad compensation.
Nassir Little is only 21-years-old and is getting better on both ends of the floor and Jusuf Nurkic could contribute immediately this season on a smaller contract than that of Turner’s.
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Continuing to be a double-double center in Indiana next to Domantas Sabonis is all that the Pacers would need from Nurkic in order to be a successful team again, which is why this trade could actually wind up making sense for them.
Accepting this trade from Portland though would depend on other offers coming in around the league for Myles Turner.
