Myles Turner – Indiana Pacers
The big man market is not very vast at the NBA trade deadline this season, but Pacers’ Myles Turner is the one name that keeps popping up everywhere you look. Dating back to last season’s deadline, Turner also saw interest then, but the Pacers were unwilling to trade their defensive anchor.
Myles Turner has quickly become one of the league’s best defensive players, as he has led the league in blocked shots two of the last three seasons and is once again leading the league this season.
Recently though, Turner suffered an apparent left foot injury that was later revealed to be a “stress reaction” in his left foot, according to team release. Myles Turner now being out indefinitely could very well shake up things at the NBA trade deadline, as well as cause his value to decline.
The Pacers are rumored to be open for business at the trade deadline this season given that their playoff hopes are slipping away with a 15-29 record. Having just one more year left on his contract, now is the best time for Indiana to try and trade Myles Turner before he becomes a free agent.
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According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Pacers are searching for two first-round picks or a promising young player and a first-round pick in exchange for Turner at the NBA trade deadline, a similar asking price the Orlando Magic had for Aaron Gordon last season before trading him to Denver for a first-round pick and R.J. Hampton.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been mentioned as a possible suitor for Myles Turner on multiple occasions and this makes sense given that they have no frontcourt play from anyone other than Anthony Davis. With Davis being out, LeBron James has been the team’s center!
Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan have been borderline useless for the Lakers this season and in order for them to get better defensively, they need to fix their problem in the frontcourt.
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Myles Turner’s foot injury is concerning, but he is certainly the high-impact shot-blocker that this team could pair with Anthony Davis to rekindle the success they had on the defensive-end of the floor during their 2019-20 championship season.
Trading Horton-Tucker, Nunn and a draft pick or two for Myles Turner could certainly get a deal done, especially since his value is going to begin dropping over the next few weeks with him being out.
