Indiana Pacers Receive: F Gordon Hayward, F J.T. Thor, 2024 First-Round Pick (CHA)

Charlotte Hornets Receive: C Myles Turner, G Buddy Hield

Trades that land Myles Turner with the Charlotte Hornets is hardly novel either. That’s because the arrangement makes too much sense to ignore.

With Turner’s ability to space the floor (34.9% career three-point shooting) and defend the rim (he’s led the league in blocks twice), he’s a perfect fit for this Hornets roster. They could continue running lineups that feature five-out spacing, only instead of featuring P.J. Washington as a small-ball big, they’ll maintain spacing without sacrificing size.

Gordon Hayward can be viewed as an asset or a contract-matcher for the Pacers. It depends on what the organization’s intentions are. They are notoriously averse to rebuilding.

It’s possible they’d be looking to bring Hayward home in a bid to return to immediate relevancy. Alternatively, he could be a conduit towards bringing Thor and a first-round pick into the fold.

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After all, those are two valuable assets for a rebuilding team. Thor is a switchable, defensively-minded wing/big. He struggled to crack Borrego’s rotation this year as well, but he should hold intrigue for a rebuilding Pacers team.

Meanwhile, the Pacers add an unprotected first-round pick. We chose the ’24 pick to avoid dealing with the complications of adding protections. The 2023 draft is simply too highly anticipated to imagine any non-contending team parting with an unprotected pick in it.

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The 2024 pick is still immensely valuable. Whether the Pacers are looking to rebuild or just retool, this trade should at least get their attention.