The Los Angeles Lakers may not have tons of tradeable assets after mortgaging the future to acquire Anthony Davis, but that isn’t stopping Rob Pelinka from shipping away his most attractive pieces in order to secure some big names. If Kyrie Irving doesn’t come, Myles Turner could (in theory) be an excellent backup plan.
With the Indiana Pacers willing to sign Deandre Ayton to an offer sheet and fresh off trading Domantas Sabonis, it looks like Kevin Pritchard is ready to move ahead with Ayton and Jalen Smith as their frontcourt of the future. After seven seasons in Indiana, Turner’s time may be up.
Turner optimists will point to the fact that he just turned 26 years old and remains one of the best rim protectors in the league. However, paying a steep price for him at this stage of his career could easily come back to haunt the Lakers if one or two unlucky brakes help him go sideways.
Turner may not have the most robust trade market right now, with his inability to consistently stay on the floor just one of many issues surrounding him. LA would be much better off leaving him alone and pursuing other trade options in the waning months of the offseason.
There’s a ‘good chance’ Myles Turner is traded by the Pacers this offseason, per @WindhorstESPN pic.twitter.com/OTmm08YB7Q
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 6, 2022
Myles Turner might not help the Los Angeles Lakers.
Turner has played more than 70 games in a season just twice in seven seasons, and he hasn’t topped 62 games in any of the past three seasons. This shows that his injury woes are a concerning long-term trend rather than a season-long blip. Even a healthy Turner has issues.
Turner has not scored more than 13.3 points per game in the last five seasons, and that came on a team that built themselves around him and Sabonis in the paint. Turner would be even less effective in LA, where he would get even fewer shots and responsibility.
If Anthony Davis is healthy and LA’s collection of backup big men gets the job done, adding another rim-protector in Turner could be seen as redundant. With so few moveable assets, trading them to Indiana would make LA the most financially rigid team in the league.
https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1469482361372954625
In his day, Turner was a high-flying big who could solidify the paint with the best of them. In LA, he would be nothing more than a rebounder and shot-blocker who can be imitated by names like Thomas Bryant for a fraction of the price. Let him stay in navy blue and yellow.
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