Indiana Pacers Receive: C Mason Plumlee, F P.J. Washington, G James Bouknight
Charlotte Hornets Receive: C Myles Turner
With the Indiana Pacers likely heading towards some kind of a rebuild, it is safe to say that they are going to be looking for young, versatile and impact talents in trade talks for some of their core players.
Both P.J. Washington (23) and James Bouknight (21) are these kinds of players and the Pacers did have interest in Bouknight ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft.
The Pacers held the rights to the 13th overall pick and they got their first-choice in Chris Duarte, but James Bouknight, who was selected 11th overall, was high on their draft board as well.
Possessing great length for a combo-guard in this league and possessing the necessary skills to potentially be an impactful two-way guard, James Bouknight could fit right in next to Malcolm Brogdon and Chris Duarte in Indiana.
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As for P.J. Washington, he would likely continue being a key bench talent behind Domantas Sabonis and Mason Plumlee, but he could wind up being a nice building block for this franchise as well.
Now in his third NBA season, Washington has averaged 12.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and has shot 44.9% from the floor, 38.9% from three-point range in 143 career games. Showing more promise on the offensive-end of the floor than that of Myles Turner, P.J. Washington could fill many different needs for the Indiana Pacers’ frontcourt.
It is possible that Indiana could require some draft compensation in this trade for Myles Turner, but even if the Hornets have to give up a first-round pick, they would be getting a player that can provide an immediate, long-lasting impact.
For his career, Myles Turner has averaged 12.8 points per game and has shot 35.4% from three-point range, replacing P.J. Washington’s production in the frontcourt and Turner has averaged 2.3 blocks per game.
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Indiana’s big man has led the league in blocked shots per game two of the last three seasons and currently leads the league once again this season with 2.8 blocks per game. This kind of talent could really change things for the better defensively in Charlotte, which is why this may be a risk worth taking from the Charlotte Hornets’ perspective.
