The Indiana Pacers have far exceeded expectations thus far this season. Many analysts believed they would be vying for a top-five pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but their timeline may have been accelerated with their performance thus far this season.
Officially into the second half of the NBA season, Indiana is in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-19. They are tied with the New York Knicks but sixth, but the Knicks currently own the tiebreaker between the teams.
No one would question the Pacers if they opted to change course and become buyers ahead of the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline in a few weeks. One of the players that will be in the middle of those decisions is Myles Turner.
Turner has been on the trade block for years as Indiana has contemplated if they wanted to trade him or make him part of their long-term core. The decision has become even tougher as the 2022-23 campaign has been the best one of Turner’s career thus far.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers, LA Clippers, New York Knicks & Toronto Raptors Updates
He is averaging 17 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.6 blocks in 29.8 minutes per game. The Pacers are considering a contract extension for him, which could be a huge raise given the amount of cap space that they have available to spend.
However, the possibility of a trade remains. If an extension cannot be worked out, Indiana would have no issues trading Turner as his value remains high around the league. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, multiple teams are already showing interest in him should they opt to trade him.
“If Turner’s contract talks ultimately stall, New York and Toronto have registered interest in recent transaction cycles, sources said,” Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports reported. “The Knicks hold a trove of first-round draft capital to spend, although the recent performance from Mitchell Robinson may quell any of New York’s attempts to upgrade its frontcourt. The Clippers remain a legitimate suitor for Turner as well, sources told Yahoo Sports.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers, LA Clippers, New York Knicks & Toronto Raptors Updates
The New York Knicks have been playing some excellent basketball in recent weeks, so it would be hard to imagine them acquiring a player whose skill set would drastically change their scheme. Turner is more of a perimeter-orientated big man, especially on offense, which doesn’t exactly fit what Tom Thibodeau does with his bigs on that side of the court. As Fischer mentioned, Mitchell Robinson is also playing at a high level, so why fix something if it isn’t broken?
The Toronto Raptors desperately need a big man for their rotation. They are lacking an interior presence and Turner’s shooting ability would enable Nick Nurse to not have to adjust his game plan too much. Pairing him with Defensive Player of the Year hopeful OG Anunoby would give the Raptors a potentially elite defense.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers, LA Clippers, New York Knicks & Toronto Raptors Updates
Ivica Zubac has been having a wonderful season for the LA Clippers, but they do not have another center on the roster currently. Isaiah Hartenstein signed a free-agent deal with the Knicks and the Clippers never replaced him. Alas, out of the three teams mentioned, the Clippers have the least assets to part with.
