After acquiring Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans, the Toronto Raptors have achieved their primary goal of adding a “significant piece” to the roster.
The former second overall pick is one of the league’s top offensive players, averaging at least 20 points and 4 assists in each of the last six seasons. Though a three-level scorer, his game is reminiscent of the star wings from the 2000s era. To that point, though he isn’t as proficient as Sacramento Kings swingman DeMar DeRozan, he’s another midrange maestro. On a team where defenses will focus on keeping them away from the rim, Ingram can carve up the middle of the floor.
Raptors Must Turn To Pacers After Brandon Ingram Trade
There is an issue now in that all of Toronto’s projected starters, sans Jakob Poeltl, are at their best with the ball in their hands. At least three of the Raptors’ projected starters, including Poeltl, shoot the 3-ball below league average. So, defenses are liable to cheat off of multiple players, taking away airspace in the paint. This could have a negative impact on not just Ingram but Poeltl, RJ Barrett, and Scottie Barnes. Because they have several mediocre 3-point threats in their second unit, it’s not as if they can plug many of them in for a quick fix either.
With that in mind, there’s a solution to their conundrum that won’t require Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic to be a Hogwarts graduate. Instead, it’s Raptors president Masai Ujiri who has to work a bit of magic. If he manages to trade Poeltl for a big man who can stretch the floor but still anchor the defense, it’ll help cover up their roster weaknesses. Looking around the league, no player may be able to accomplish that as well as Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner.
Turner, 6-foot-11, is a career 36.0 percent 3-point shooter with a career average of 2.2 blocks per game. At 28 years old, he’s also a solid fit for Toronto’s timeline. Last but not least, the Pacers might be willing to move him in order to avoid a summertime contract dispute. All of that being said, at this present moment, Turner’s being paid less than $500k more than Poeltl. Thus, there aren’t any financial hoops the Raptors would have to jump through to trade for him.
They just have to make the deal sweet enough for Pacers president Kevin Pritchard. The package that the Los Angeles Lakers sent the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams should be a template. Though Turner is more accomplished than Williams, the new Lakers center has plenty of promise. Consequently, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka traded a first-rounder, second-rounder, and a young player (Dalton Knecht) to the Hornets.
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