{"id":121232,"date":"2025-01-31T14:55:35","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T19:55:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=121232"},"modified":"2025-01-31T14:55:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T19:55:35","slug":"knicks-should-pursue-myles-turner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/31\/knicks-should-pursue-myles-turner\/","title":{"rendered":"Knicks Should Pursue Myles Turner at Trade Deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Knicks front office has some big decisions to make at the February 6th NBA trade deadline. Do they stand pat, hope Mitchell Robinson<\/a> returns from foot surgery, and chase a title with this group? Do they trade young players and\/or draft compensation for rotation depth? Or, do they make a smaller blockbuster involving Robinson<\/a> to seriously upgrade the roster?<\/p>\n

Leon Rose made four meaningful deals in 2024, so we know he’s not afraid to capitalize on the trade market. Many names have floated around as possible Knicks targets, from Jonas Valanciunas<\/a> to Chris Boucher<\/a> to Ayo Dosunmu<\/a>. However, if they want to make a splash and materially change their championship odds, the name they should pursue is Myles Turner<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Knicks Should Pursue Myles Turner at Trade Deadline<\/h2>\n

Now, it is somewhat unlikely that Indiana will decide to move on from their longtime center. He’s been a Pacer for ten seasons and has continued to get better in his late 20s. Turner is also a big reason for Indiana’s successful rebuild, which earned them a Conference Finals birth a year ago. They currently sit fifth in the East after winning 16 of 21 games, three full games clear of sixth-seeded Miami. Right now, they would get a first-round rematch with the team they ousted in six games last season, the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee is a better team this year, but Indiana’s speed and up-tempo is a phenomenal matchup formula to beat them.<\/p>\n

However, Turner’s $19.9M contract<\/a> expires after this season, making him an unrestricted free agent. For a small-market franchise that\u00a0already has two max players<\/a> in Tyrese Haliburton<\/a> and Pascal Siakam<\/a>, Indiana may struggle to meet Turner’s market. To make matters worse, Andrew Nembhard<\/a>‘s extension kicks in starting in 2025-26, jumping from around $2M to $18.1M. Breakout stud Bennedict Mathurin<\/a> is eligible for an extension next year as well.<\/p>\n

Indiana should make Turner a Pacer for life, but simply might not have the means to do so. If Indy feels they may lose him for nothing, they should at least hear what teams have to say. They’ve clearly discussed trading him before, most notably rumored to the Lakers for several years, which never materialized.<\/p>\n

Should Knicks Be Interested?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Why should the Knicks pursue Turner? Well, it’s simple. He provides an upgrade over Robinson both on the floor and durability-wise. Turner has played in 60 or more games in seven of his nine seasons<\/a>\u00a0and is on pace to do so again this year. Meanwhile, Robinson still hasn’t recovered from a foot injury that occurred in last year’s playoffs, and there’s no guarantee that he suit up for the Knicks this year. Tom Thibodeau has been noncommittal at every turn about his center’s recovery, and New York simply cannot afford his absence, unless they bring in a replacement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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"He's doing really well. I'm trusting the medical people. When he's cleared, he's cleared."<\/p>\n

Tom Thibodeau provides an update on Mitchell Robinson: pic.twitter.com\/dP9PNobRzZ<\/a><\/p>\n

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 29, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n