Indiana Pacers: A workable Myles Turner trade with the Miami Heat

Why the Indiana Pacers do this trade with the Miami Heat

First and foremost, so far things are not working with Turbonis. I’ve had an optimistic viewpoint of the pairing thus far but I am willing to admit I’d give Turner up for the right price.

This sort of a deal — while perhaps still needing some draft capital to sweeten the pot for either side and get it done — might be as good as it gets if Indy is dead-set on moving Turner this summer. That alone lends credibility to the idea of just running it back and not trading Turner just yet.

That said, Meyers Leonard is an immediately better fit for Sabonis in the starting lineup. He shoots above 40 percent beyond the arc on 2.4 attempts per game, nearly 7 percent better than Turner. He is already spacing the floor for Adebayo in Miami and paving the way for a potential Most Improved Player of the Year Award for Adebayo.

When it comes to moving Turner and bringing in Leonard, here’s the caveat — The onus is on Sabonis to become a better rim protector. While good on the defensive end, he’s not great. Sabonis forces opponents to shoot 3.3 percent worse from within six feet of the rim, Turner forces greater than 10 percent worse.

And Indiana rests their laurels on their defensive skills. He has a tendency to foul when impatient, and without Turner to save him when he gets beat, there’s a good shot Turner really struggles until he shows significant growth and effort on the defensive end.

Derrick Jones Jr., the Slam Dunk Champion this season, would be an exciting addition for the Pacers squad.

While his frame is slender and lean, he has no issue banging with the biggest players in the game.

When asked about his defensive mindset, Jones said:

"“They bleed blood just like I bleed blood. I ain’t got no fear for no man.”"

Fearless on both ends, it’s that mindset that allows him to launch for some of the most absurd dunks you’ll see in a real-game situation:

Even better, though, Jones has the length to make some great defensive plays. He has a defensive box plus/minus of 1.1 this year.

Similar to Justin Holiday on that end, if the Pacers actually pulled this trade off there’s a good chance they view Holiday as redundant and don’t pursue him this offseason. While upsetting because he’s a fan favorite, Jones has higher potential and would be a good get for the Pacers as an upgrade on the wings.

The lefty isn’t a great 3-point shooter but can hit one on occasion. In the Pacers system, that’s not the most important thing, anyway.

This trade would give the Pacers some considerable upside on the defensive end and the spacing they’ve been hungry for for Sabonis. The major downside is losing Turner’s rim protecting, but that will be the case with any trade that sends Turner out.