Indiana Pacers: A workable Myles Turner trade with the Miami Heat
By Josh Wilson
A trade sending Myles Turner from the Pacers to the Miami Heat
Working things out with the Heat is somewhat tricky.
Miami has their books wide open over the next few years to give them maximum flexibility going into the summers for free agency. While superb when they do make draft selections, the organization typically trades picks away and tries to make its biggest additions in free agency each year.
We all remember “The Decision” that lured LeBron James away from his hometown team and ruined the Pacers for several years in the playoffs. No need to dive further.
Miami only has $82 million on the books going into next year, 34 of that going to Jimmy Butler. The remaining players under contract (Andre Iguodala, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, KZ Okpala, Chris Silva, [and Kelly Olynk has a team option]) all are either untouchable or not that attractive for what the Pacers would be looking for.
With that said, there is a way the Pacers can entice Miami with a deal. It involves selling them on the idea of not losing their free agents for nothing, and it might be difficult to pull off since it requires two players (Meyers Leonard and Derrick Jones Jr.) agreeing to a sign-and-trade leaving the warm weather of Miami for Indiana.
The contracts of Jones and Leonard would need to match Turner’s $18 million salary, which should be feasible.
Sign-and-trades aren’t exactly common over the last decade, but there were several last summer, including one involving the Pacers where they brought in Malcolm Brogdon.