There are several teams that are going to be in the market for a center this NBA offseason. Solid options are available in free agency, while the trade market could have a number of excellent players as well.
But, it sounds like at least one player will not be available as previously thought. According to Marc Stein, Myles Turner is expected to remain with the Indiana Pacers this offseason. Despite that, teams haven’t stopped asking about him when they call Indiana.
Before injuring his foot, Turner looked like the most likely Pacer to be on the move ahead of the trade deadline. He was garnering a ton of interest and Indiana was looking to cash in when his value was highest.
Instead, it was Domantas Sabonis that was on the move, as he was traded to the Sacramento Kings. The centerpiece of the return package was Tyrese Haliburton, who is the new face of the franchise in Indiana.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Trade Packages To Send Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner To San Antonio Spurs
Acquiring Haliburton is one of the reasons that the Pacers reportedly wanted to hold onto Turner, as they want to see how the two mesh together. While teams will be disappointed to hear this, Unless Indiana is blown away by an offer that they just cannot refuse, such as acquiring a person of Haliburton’s caliber, it makes sense to hold onto Turner.
Turner is on an expiring deal, so they will likely use the beginning of the season to see how things work out on the court. If they go well, extension talks can start up. If things go south, the Pacers can shop him ahead of the deadline and look to cash in on a few more assets.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Trade Packages To Send Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner To San Antonio Spurs
As things currently stand, the Indiana Pacers are thin in the frontcourt. Trading Turner would leave them with a lot of inexperienced players to soak up all their frontcourt minutes. While they are rebuilding, you still want to have some veterans in the mix for younger players to lean on and learn from.
Myles Turner can be that player for Indiana and still only 26-years old, is someone that could be retained for the long-term.
