Charlotte Hornets Receive: C Myles Turner, F Oshae Brissett
Indiana Pacers Receive: F P.J. Washington, F/C Kai Jones, C Mason Plumlee, BOS 2023 2nd Round Pick (via CHA)
The Charlotte Hornets are not tight on cap space, so they can easily bring in Myles Turner’s $17.5M contract for this season, but the question that will be presented in this scenario is who is Charlotte willing to trade?
Miles Bridges has played very well this season and is in the conversation for Most Improved Player, so they are not going to trade him, and the Hornets are the 4th best-rated offensive team in the league this season, so it is hard to imagine that they are going to look to trade any of their core guys like Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier or sixth-man Kelly Oubre Jr.
This leaves a trade package of Mason Plumlee, P.J. Washington, and one of the Hornets’ young talents as the only trade package that could work in terms of pursuing Myles Turner ahead of the trade deadline.
Seeing as this move by the Indiana Pacers would be to begin their rebuild, it would not be a bad idea for them to add P.J. Washington and Kai Jones to their frontcourt. Jones was a player that worked out with the Pacers prior to the 2021 NBA Draft and they did like what he could bring to the table for them, but Indiana ended up with Isaiah Jackson instead.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pacers Looking To Rebuild — Talk Trades For Sabonis, Turner, LeVert
Not only would Washington and Jones provide depth in the frontcourt for the Pacers, something they do not currently have outside of Sabonis and Turner, but they are two young, athletic players that could be paired with other young talent on this roster as they look to build for the future.
Getting Mason Plumlee does not really help the Pacers in any way, but he only has one more year on his contract after this season and it is partially guaranteed for about $4.3M.
Indiana could waive him following this season, but having him around is not a terrible idea as they look to integrate some of their young centers into the rotation. Plumlee could prove to be a key mentor for them next to Domantas Sabonis early on with the Indiana Pacers and then the team could look to leverage him at the trade deadline next season should he still be on their roster.
If Charlotte is going to make the playoffs this season, they are going to have to try and better themselves defensively. They can score all the points they want, but if they are giving up just as many points to their opponents, it really does not matter how good their offense is.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pacers Looking To Rebuild — Talk Trades For Sabonis, Turner, LeVert
Myles Turner is a player that has been rumored to be on the Hornets’ “wish-list” for a while now and this season could finally be the team they pursue him. He fits into the mold of being an athletic center who can not only thrive in pick-and-roll situations with LaMelo Ball on offense but be the anchor of this team’s defense in the paint.
The Charlotte Hornets rank 25th in rebounding and 8th in blocked shots, two areas in which Myles Turner could really help them improve in. While he is the best trade target available for the Hornets leading up to the trade deadline, Indiana may have a set value on him that they would like to get back in return, something Charlotte may not be able to meet.
