Why The Indiana Pacers Do The Deal

We’ll say this much with confidence: the Pacers should move both Turner and Hield this summer.

They’ve simply got too much young talent deserving of opportunities. Turner could limit the minutes available to the much younger Isaiah Jackson. He showed plenty of potential in his rookie campaign last year. Meanwhile, the Pacers may intend to start Jalen Smith at the 4, but they should see how he looks at center as well.

Furthermore, incoming rookie Bennedict Mathurin should get plenty of spin in his own debut season. He doesn’t need Buddy Hield in his way. The Pacers should commit to their youth movement this summer.

With that in mind, two first-round picks and significant cap relief might be a reasonable return for both Turner and Hield.

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Surely, Turner would fetch a pick of his own on the open market, but he’s unlikely to land two. Meanwhile, finding an unprotected first for Hield feels like an unreasonable ambitious goal.

Throw in a 2026 swap, and the Pacers ought to like this trade. Are the Lakers mortgaging off too much of their future for the return here?