Myles Turner – Indiana Pacers
Ahead of the trade deadline this season, the Portland Trail Blazers also showed interest in trading for Pacers’ big man Myles Turner. However, Turner suffered a stress reaction in his left foot about a week before the deadline, causing many teams, the Trail Blazers included, to turn their attention elsewhere.
Myles Turner is only 25-years-old and is already one of the best shot-blocking big men in the league. Since the 2015-16 season, Turner ranks second in the league in blocked shots (984), trailing only Jazz big man Rudy Gobert (1,089).
Before injuring his foot this season, Myles Turner was leading the league in blocked shots per game and he has led the league in blocks two of the last three seasons.
With just one more year left on his contract after this season, the Indiana Pacers could be very open to moving on from Turner, especially since they have Isaiah Jackson, Goga Bitadze and Jalen Smith in their frontcourt.
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Jusuf Nurkic will be a free agent for the Blazers this offseason and with him expected to see a raise upwards of $16 million per year, Portland could just bring in Myles Turner at $18 million for next season, saving them more money long-term and possibly pursuing other avenues at the center position long-term.
Myles Turner’s asking price likely will not be high either, as Indiana has been shopping him for over two years now. At the 2022 NBA Draft, the Trail Blazers could be able to acquire Turner for a draft pick and a young talent like Keon Johnson or Greg Brown II.
The Trail Blazers must find ways to improve defensively and adding Myles Turner at center could go a long way in helping them achieve this.
