{"id":120772,"date":"2025-01-29T15:01:20","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T20:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=120772"},"modified":"2025-01-29T15:02:28","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T20:02:28","slug":"lakers-trade-rumors-anthony-davis-myles-turner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/29\/lakers-trade-rumors-anthony-davis-myles-turner\/","title":{"rendered":"With Davis Out, Could Lakers Swing for Indiana Center Again?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lakers\u2019 need for center depth has intensified with the news that <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/davisan02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anthony Davis<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/29\/anthony-davis-abdominal-injury\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will miss at least one week<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with an abdominal strain. Considering that Davis\u2019s backups are largely ineffective and trade talks are shifting by the day, new reporting suggests it\u2019s time for LA to revisit a familiar target.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>With Davis Out, Could Lakers Swing for Indiana Center Again?<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Center Need at All-Time High for Lakers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Davis\u2019s injury comes days after he put up a season-high 42 points and 23 rebounds. Though it was against a lowly Charlotte Hornets squad, it served as a reminder of AD\u2019s dominance throughout the season, notable given the team\u2019s offensive shift under JJ Redick.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lakers\u2019 struggles in their loss to Philadelphia, exacerbated by <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/lakersnation.com\/lakers-injury-update-anthony-davis-leaves-game-against-76ers-with-abdominal-muscle-strain\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Davis\u2019s absence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the second quarter onward, exemplified why having capable big men is key for the rest of the season. <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/woodch01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Christian Wood<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has yet to return following offseason knee surgery; <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kolokch01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Christian Koloko<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, though solid, is limited by the 55 NBA games he can play on a two-way contract; and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hayesja02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jaxson Hayes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> hasn\u2019t proven he can be a complementary piece next to or behind AD, getting caught in lowlights like this one.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I just don\u2019t like Jaxson Hayes.<\/p>\n<p>Bobbles the pass but what he did after that pisses me off even more. The ball is still in play and DK diving for it and he just stays there bobbing his head and doesn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n<p>We better pray AD okay, because if not, we are screwed. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dIJCSL47zD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/dIJCSL47zD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Richard Staple, BSN, RN\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf2 (@RichStapless) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RichStapless\/status\/1884426199092347194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 29, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lakers have been stuck vying for upgrades at the five all year long, leading some to believe acquiring a two-time blocks champ could finally be a possibility.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Turner Talk Strikes Again<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Indiana Pacers and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/turnemy01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Myles Turner<\/a> have reached an impasse in regards to the center\u2019s future. <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.bleacherreport.com\/articles\/10152307-nba-trade-rumors-pacers-not-sure-they-want-to-pay-myles-turner-30m-contract\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reports<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> say the Pacers are reluctant to offer Turner a $30+ million contract extension, leading to speculation that Indy may finally be ready to move on from him after a decade in The Hoosier State.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sources told ClutchPoints\u2019 <a  href=\"https:\/\/clutchpoints.com\/lakers-trade-target-is-myles-turner-actually-available\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brett Siegel and Anthony Irwin<\/a>: \u201c&#8230;the Lakers <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have held extensive conversations about Turner internally and are weighing whether it makes sense to put both the first-rounders they can move this trade deadline on the table for him.\u201d They added that talks surrounding <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/v\/vucevni01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nikola Vucevic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/v\/valanjo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jonas Valanciunas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> had gone south, leading the Lakers to shift their focus toward other names.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6094864\/2025\/01\/29\/lakers-trade-targets-walker-kessler-myles-turner-deadline\/?source=emp_shared_article\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Athletic\u2019s Jovan Buha<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> discussed Turner as a potential trade target, describing him as a near-perfect complement to Davis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He\u2019s the rare 3-and-D center, joining the likes of Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is and Brook Lopez as 7-foot(ish) bigs who shoot an above-average percentage on a high volume of 3s while also credibly protecting the rim,\u201d Buha wrote. \u201cTurner was nearly a Laker ahead of the 2022-23 season, when\u2026LA was close with Indiana on a Russell Westbrook for Turner and Buddy Hield swap. The Lakers have long coveted him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, Buha also cautioned the Pacers would need a center in any trade for Turner, citing, \u201cThey are not an organization that tanks, and giving up their starting center without getting another would likely cause them to take a step back in the East.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>A Legit Perfect Fit<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turner has joined <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kesslwa01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walker Kessler<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and Valanciunas, among others, as a handful of centers fans want the Lakers to get. However, their pleas have merit this time around.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Buha mentioned, Turner\u2019s ability to protect the paint and space the floor fill two vital holes for the Lakers. Davis has had to do both for most of the season, showcasing his stifling defense while increasing his three-point output for the first time since 2020 (he took a career-high 3.5 threes per game in 2019-20, and has taken 2.2 per game this year).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bringing in Turner would also take an enormous weight off of Davis\u2019s shoulders as an enforcer in the paint and reinforcement in case of injury. It would also employ the two-big style that both Davis and Turner are familiar with. Davis found success with <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mcgeeja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JaVale McGee<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/howardw01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dwight Howard<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during LA\u2019s title run, while <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/film-study-sabonis-turner-pairing-pacers\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turner<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> joined <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sabondo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Domantas Sabonis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/pacers\/news\/turner-sabonis-unite-starting-lineup#:~:text=Yes%2C%20Myles%20Turner%20and%20Domantas,question%20was%20posed%20on%20Sunday.\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">starting frontcourt<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for 2.5 seasons (Oct. 2019-Feb. 2022).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With cases for Kessler, Valanciunas and others growing thin, the Lakers must reconsider a trade for Turner, especially at this point in the season. The team has relied on Davis and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LeBron James<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> so much that they barely have answers in the event they miss games. It\u2019s crucial that the Lakers meet the demands of their star players and fans ahead of the deadline, and adding someone of Turner\u2019s caliber is a necessary step in the right direction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Bill Streicher-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Lakers\u2019 need for center depth has intensified with the news that Anthony Davis will miss at least one week with an abdominal strain. Considering that Davis\u2019s backups are largely ineffective and trade talks are shifting by the day, new reporting suggests it\u2019s time for LA to revisit a familiar target. With Davis Out, Could [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4265,"featured_media":120777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,11,26,62,4721],"tags":[240,167,38,637,474,4513],"class_list":["post-120772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-pacers","category-lakers","category-nba","category-trade-rumors","tag-anthony-davis","tag-jonas-valanciunas","tag-lebron-james","tag-myles-turner","tag-nikola-vucevic","tag-walker-kessler"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120772"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120772\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":120791,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120772\/revisions\/120791"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}