Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: C Myles Turner
Indiana Pacers Receive: G Malik Beasley, G/F Josh Okogie, MIN 2022 1st Round Pick (Lottery-Protected; if not conveyed, then 2023 1st Round Pick Unprotected), MIN 2025 2nd Round Pick
Myles Turner has long seen his name brought up in trade rumors, so it really should not be shocking if the Indiana Pacers actually go through with a trade this season. The Timberwolves are just the latest team rumored to be interested in him and The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski stated recently on his podcast that Turner is a player Minnesota should consider trading for.
“A big man is definitely needed and the Timberwolves know it. The one thing about this front office and this coaching staff is right now is even though they might performing above expectations to what fans would expect, to what the league would expect. They know that they have a lot to work on, they know that the roster isn’t perfect, they know that they need a lot help. So its not like they are sitting this out and saying “We’re fine, we’re gonna go for it.”
“The Timberwolves are also looking at the trade market, in attempt to buy a playoff push. One player Minnesota appears to have interest in is Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers.”
Jon Krawczynski on The Jon Krawczynski Show
Through his career, Myles Turner has always been a consistent player that has only improved defensively, but he has always been underutilized on offense by the Pacers. He has averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and has shot 48.9% from the floor for his career, but his career usage percentage is only around 19%.
Utilized mainly in pick-and-roll threats as a three-point shooter, Turner never really gets his chances to be a real two-way threat in Indiana. With the Timberwolves however, he could not only be an anchor for them defensively, but help them clean the offensive glass and create second-chance scoring opportunities in the paint.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Best & Worst Trade Destinations For Pacers’ Myles Turner
What the Pacers would want for Turner remains a big mystery since they have been unwilling to trade him through the years, but they would most likely want some young talents to try and rebuild with.
The Indiana Pacers are in no shape to contend in the Eastern Conference right now and while they could look to leverage Turner for more higher-level offensive threats, both Malik Beasley and Josh Okogie could help them potentially sneak into the playoff picture now.
Beasley has played very well since coming to Minnesota during the 2019-20 season, as the 25-year-old shooter has averaged 17.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and has shot 38.2% from three-point range in a Timberwolves jersey.
The Pacers currently rank 26th in the league in three-point shooting percentage and are thin in terms of scoring talent on the wing with T.J. Warren out, hence why they could be interested in Beasley as a young building block who can be a knockdown shooter off-the-bench.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Best & Worst Trade Destinations For Pacers’ Myles Turner
As for Josh Okogie, he is in his fourth season in the league and is in the final year of his contract, but Okogie has turned himself into a very reliable defender. Given his 7-foot wingspan, Josh Okogie can defend numerous positions on the court and could help the Indiana Pacers, who currently rank 12th in defensive rating.
This move by Minnesota would force them to give up two promising looking young talents for a player that could wind up leaving in free agency following the 2022-23 season, but both Beasley and Okogie do not present much to this team’s chances of making the playoffs this season.
They are both key bench talents and have helped the Timberwolves win games, but they are not essential players like that of Towns, Russell and Edwards on this team. Adding Myles Turner to this group not only makes them better defensively, but gives them an even better foundation to continue building a successful roster for the future.
