Charlotte Hornets Receive: C Myles Turner

Indiana Pacers Receive: C Mason Plumlee, F/C P.J. Washington, G James Bouknight

The Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets are two teams heading in different directions. Indiana is in the midst of what is the first rebuild in franchise history. Charlotte is looking to cement itself as a playoff contender. So, there very well could be a deal to be made between the two.

The Hornets land Myles Turner to shore things up in the middle of their lineup. He is a sizable upgrade over Mason Plumlee, who is heading to Indiana mostly to match salaries.

Charlotte’s defense is going to look a lot different with Turner in the middle and Kenny Atkinson, who was hired to replace James Borrego, as head coach. In this scenario, the Hornets unload some of their younger players and hold onto their draft capital.

P.J. Washington is a versatile big man capable of playing power forward or center and producing. He can stretch the floor and is an improving defender. Eligible for an extension this offseason, he could be a long-term building block for the frontcourt in Indiana.

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Unable to crack the rotation as a rookie, James Bouknight should find minutes easier to come by in Indiana. He was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft but doesn’t have a path to playing time in Charlotte with LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier entrenched as the starters.

Standing 6’5” with a reported 7-foot wingspan, Bouknight is long enough to play on the wing. He should find minutes alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Chris Duarte, especially if Malcolm Brogdon is on the move.