Trade interest for Myles Turner is heating up. The Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks are all expressing interest, according to Shams Charania. Take a look at a potential trade each of those teams can offer.
Myles Turner Trade Ideas
Charlotte Upgrades the Frontcourt
The Trade: the Hornets send Mason Plumlee and PJ Washington to the Pacers for Turner.
First and foremost, Plumlee is obviously a downgrade from Turner at center. If Indiana truly wants to focus on a rebuild, though, they’d take his two-year deal to make this deal work. Plumlee is still usable, however. The main piece here is Washington. He’s just 22-years-old and as dynamic as a player gets. Washington can play multiple positions, and play them all well. He has great size and length, which makes him a threat on both ends of the floor. Washington can play inside but also has a smooth shot from the outside. He’s a terrific young forward for Indiana to emphasize in their rebuild.
Charlotte is on the brink of true playoff contention. They have themselves a star in LaMelo Ball, a much improved Miles Bridges, and other solid pieces and veterans. What this team is truly missing, however, is a center. This is exactly why bringing Turner in makes so much sense. He’ll solidify this core for years to come, be a defensive force, and could also thrive offensively with Ball at point guard.
A Homecoming for Myles Turner
The Trade: the Mavericks send Dwight Powell, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Josh Green to the Pacers for Turner.
First off, this trade involves dumping Turner’s salary for Indiana. It doesn’t strengthen them now but adds expiring contracts and perhaps others to trade. Powell is a solid center. He’s always been a near-starting-caliber player, but also a former favorite of Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle. Cauley-Stein carries an expiring contract.
Green is an interesting piece. He presents Carlisle’s last first-round pick with Dallas. More than that, he’s also been blossoming lately. He’s an extremely athletic slashing-type player, but one who plays terrific defense and can develop a legitimate outside shot.
Dallas needs frontcourt toughness and added rebounding and rim protection. Turner brings all of that back to the area where he’s originally from. The Mavericks’ defense has been very strong all season long, and Turner only improves that. He’s also a better offensive option than any other Dallas center, and he’ll find plenty of shooting and pick-and-roll opportunities alongside Luka Doncic.
Now or Never for the Lakers
The Trade: the Lakers send Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn to the Pacers for Turner.
The Lakers clearly have a talented roster. All the pieces just haven’t added up. Blame can be thrown here and there, but either way, they must improve to contend for a championship this season. Adding everything Turner has to offer is a great place to start.
He’ll make sure Anthony Davis won’t have to play any minutes at the five. He’s also a major upgrade over Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan. His fit in the starting line-up changes everything.
Indiana gets a solid prospect in Horton-Tucker. The Lakers may not want to part way with him, but they’re definitely in a win-now situation. Turner, however, is still young at 25-years-old. Nunn adds onto Indiana’s backcourt depth and looked like a legitimate starter for some time while with the Miami Heat.
Another Star gets involved with Myles Turner
The Trade: the Pacers receive Ben Simmons from the Philadelphia 76ers and Mitchell Robinson from the Knicks. New York receives Turner. The 76ers receive Caris LeVert and a first-round pick from the Pacers, and Kemba Walker and Obi Toppin from the Knicks.
The Simmons saga ends with the silent Turner saga that has existed for some time now. Simmons lands in Indiana, which gives him a new chance to revamp his career. Indiana already has a couple of stars, so they can remain in playoff contention here too. Robinson is a young and talented center, and although his contract expires this coming offseason, perhaps he can prove to be a better fit in the Indiana frontcourt.
New York has a plethora of big men, but if rumors are true, Turner is whom they’ve identified as their ideal starting center. They beef up here.
The Knicks have also shown a willingness to trade Walker. Philadelphia is another contender, and Walker adds leadership and clear backcourt skill. Toppin is another nice get, as he can earn plenty of minutes off the bench. Lastly, LeVert is still a major offensive weapon and overall Philadelphia gains solid talent for a player in Simmons who wants to leave.
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