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The Indiana Pacers are ready to enter a rebuild, according to a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The team has decided Malcolm Brogdon, Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson will be part of the core going forward, with Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner expendable. We’ll look at what the market looks like for Turner and where he could end up if the Pacers decide to make a deal.
Turner was a rare big man coming out of college. He could shoot the triple with relatively high efficiency and was also a defensive force at the rim. His running style was a major talking point coming out of college, but Turner has settled into a nice role as a starter. He’s averaging 2.8 blocks per game and shooting 39.5 percent from deep, so those two elements of his game haven’t changed. It’s the other stuff around those elements which has depressed his value. That being said, he’s still a solid starter in the league and has some potential to grow into a dominant force on both sides of the ball. Here are some potential trades the Pacers could make with Turner.
Myles Turner trade rumor updates
Update, Jan. 18 — The Pacers are going to have a harder time trading Turner after he suffered a stress reaction in his foot. Per Adrian Wojnarowski, the big man is expected to be out past the trade deadline.
Pacers center Myles Turner is expected to be sidelined beyond the February 10 NBA trade deadline, sources tell ESPN. Team says he will be re-examined in two weeks, but teams interested in trading for Turner will have to do due diligence on injury as they weigh offers.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 18, 2022
Update, Jan. 17 — The Pacers are reportedly seeking multiple first-round picks or a promising young player and a first-round pick for Turner, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. This is a high asking price, even as Turner leads the league in blocked shots and will solidify the interior for any contender.
Sources: The Indiana Pacers are seeking two first-round picks or a promising young player and a first-round pick in exchange for Myles Turner, the NBA’s leading shot blocker. More on @hoopshype. https://t.co/28ygbbSnG2
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) January 17, 2022
Update, Dec. 9 — Turner spoke to reporters and The Athletic on Tuesday and had this to say on the trade rumors swirling around the Pacers. Basically, the center feels he can contribute more than just on the defensive end and Indiana hasn’t allowed him to do so early in his career.
“It’s clear that I’m not valued as anything more than a glorified role player here, and I want something more, more opportunity,” Turner told The Athletic on Tuesday. “I’m trying really hard to make the role that I’m given here work and find a way to maximize it. I’ve been trying to the past two, three seasons. But it’s clear to me that, just numbers-wise, I’m not valued as more than a rotational role player, and I hold myself in a higher regard than that.”
Pacers-Spurs trade
Pacers get: Jakob Poeltl, Zach Collins, 2024 2nd round pick, 2025 second round pick
Spurs get: Myles Turner
The Spurs have a lot of perimeter players with potential going forward. It might be time to admit the Collins experiment hasn’t worked out in San Antonio, and Poeltl isn’t more than rotation big man at this point. The Pacers get some draft picks and a rotation player in what essentially equates to a salary dump, while the Spurs land a strong starter who can anchor their defense around young perimeter players.
Pacers-Hornets trade
Pacers get: Kelly Oubre Jr., Mason Plumlee, 2023 2nd round pick, 2024 2nd round pick
Hornets get: Myles Turner
Oubre Jr. fills a need for the Pacers on the wing, especially if T.J. Warren doesn’t look like the player he once was after returning from injury. Plumlee is a good rotation piece, and Indiana does get some draft capital. Turner gets to help solidify a Hornets defense which is giving up the most points in the league while also acting as a model for Kai Jones, Charlotte’s first-round pick from a season ago, to follow. The Pacers could ask for Jones or James Bouknight in this trade and Charlotte might still be willing to play ball.
Pacers-Thunder trade
Pacers get: Mike Muscala, Derrick Favors, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, 2022 1st round pick, 2023 2nd round pick
Thunder get: Myles Turner
The Pacers are going to buy out Favors, so he’s only included to make salaries work. Muscala is a decent bench player while Robinson-Earl has some potential to develop into a starter alongside Jackson. The most important part of this deal for Indiana is the first-round pick, which hardly anyone else would be willing to give. The Thunder have a bunch of draft capital to play with, and a promising backcourt with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. Turner would be a great fit for both guards, while helping shore up Oklahoma City’s defense.