Why the Indiana Pacers could say yes:
The Indiana Pacers are the x-factor here. In my opinion, it is a no-brainer for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pacers would have to gauge the other offers that they have and find one that they like the most.
There is an advantage with the Lakers’ trade package that other offers may not have.
The Pacers are going to be offered deals that have draft capital and could have two first-round picks attached. That sounds great on paper, but what are the Pacers really getting from a contending team if they trade two first-round picks that the Pacers know are going to be in the 25-30 range?
They are getting complete unknowns. We love to fall in love with the idea of trading for first-round picks but the odds of it looking like the Boston Celtics-Brooklyn Nets deal from 2013 are slim to none. That was an anomaly and a bad trade at the time for Brooklyn.
Here the Pacers are getting known assets. They get a first-round pick, a 21-year-old who has a ton of potential in THT and a proven role player in Kyle Kuzma. Kuzma is the least exciting of the bunch but he can still add 35 minutes off the bench for even be flipped for more assets.
The Pacers should be looking for young, proven players. It makes no sense for Indiana to take on one year of someone like Marcus Smart when they are not going to win the title next season anyways. They need players who can play now and can be developed into something special.
The one offer that could completely blow the Lakers out of the water is James Wiseman, but I am not sure Turner’s value is high enough to get the second overall pick in last year’s draft. He is a great player but he still is not an all-star.
Indiana might be hoping for more but when the dust settles this could very well be the best offer they get and it still is not a bad offer in the slightest.