The Indiana Pacers had been rumored as one team that was looking to shake things up and kickstart a rebuild at the NBA trade deadline. They got the process started over the weekend when they completed a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Pacers traded Caris LeVert to the Cavaliers in exchange for Ricky Rubio, a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick and two future second-round picks. It signaled what exactly the Pacers are looking for in these deals, as they are getting salary relief and draft compensation.
Rubio is sidelined for the remainder of the season because of a torn ACL but is on an expiring contract so he will come off the books following the season. Adding three draft picks is always great value for a rebuilding team.
Now, they will look to continue building off of what they started by parting ways with LeVert. One player who is very popular on the trade market is center, Myles Turner.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Trail Blazers Team To Watch For Myles Turner Trade?
It seemed like a foregone conclusion that Turner would be traded ahead of the deadline. He is someone that has been in trade rumors for years and was playing some great basketball this season, raising his value. However, a foot injury seemed to derail those plans.
Turner last played on January 14th as he has been dealing with a stress reaction in his foot. Trading for an injured player is always a delicate situation. When that injured player is a big man with a foot injury, it could scare some teams away.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Trail Blazers Team To Watch For Myles Turner Trade?
The asking price for Turner has been pretty high, and given his current injury status, it is hard to imagine any team meeting it. However, there are still plenty of teams monitoring Turner ahead of the deadline.
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings all have some degree of interest in Turner. However, none of them are willing to meet the Indiana Pacers’ asking price of two first-round picks.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Trail Blazers Team To Watch For Myles Turner Trade?
Unless Indiana is willing to negotiate and lower the asking price, it is unlikely that a deal will get done ahead of the deadline. There is just too much risk in acquiring a player with the injury that Turner possesses.
Alas, there is no denying that when healthy, he would greatly improve the aforementioned teams. On the season Turner is averaging 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and leading the NBA with 2.8 blocks per game.
