One NBA writer is proposing that the Los Angeles Lakers acquire Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner this summer.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic believes Turner is a player who “checks a lot of the boxes the Lakers need.” Buha proposed that the Lakers trade shooting guard Malik Beasley, big man Mo Bamba and draft picks to the Pacers for Turner.
“The obvious candidate is Myles Turner, to whom the Lakers have been tied for years,” Buha wrote. “They could acquire the Pacers’ center by combining the salaries of Malik Beasley ($16.5 million) and Mo Bamba ($10.3 million), along with either their 2023 first-round pick (No. 17), a future first or multiple second-round picks.
“Turner checks a lot of the boxes the Lakers need. He’s one of the few 3-and-D centers in the league, which would allow Los Angeles to remain big defensively, with Turner and Anthony Davis patrolling the paint, while also maintaining their spacing offensively (Turner shot 37.3 percent on four 3-point attempts per game last season). There are some within the Lakers that remain skeptical of the way a Turner-Davis frontcourt fits in the playoffs. I understand their skepticism, but I think Turner and Davis are skilled and versatile enough to make the partnership work.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Turner averaged 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.3 blocks for the Pacers in 2022-23. The two-time blocks champion, who signed a two-year, $58 million extension with Indiana in January, shot 54.8% from the field and 37.3% from beyond the arc.
The Lakers almost acquired Turner and sharpshooter Buddy Hield last summer and this season for former MVP Russell Westbrook. Buha, Sam Amick and Shams Charania reported that Los Angeles nearly sent Westbrook and unprotected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to Indiana for Turner and Hield before Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka determined that giving up two future draft picks was too steep of a cost to pay.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Turner has career averages of 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.3 blocks. He will have made over $140 million in his career once his current contract ends.
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