Myles Turner, C
The longest-tenured Pacer in the squad once again finds himself at the core of trade speculations, a motif that persists as the world still spins and the sky remains blue.
A Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Myles Turner is once again proving why he is the world’s best shot blocker and one of the best deterrents at the rim. Leading the league with 3.4 blocks per game, his defense has singlehandedly won games for the Navy and Gold.
However, with him and Sabonis forming a two-big punch atypical in today’s game, pundits and fans alike are clamoring for the Indiana Pacers brass to break up the tandem and fully embrace small ball in light of the team’s struggles this season.
While the numbers imply that the Pacers are better with Turner on the floor compared to Sabonis, the latter is already a two-time All-Star with still-untapped potential at 24 years of age. And in a league that is swiftly favoring offense over defense, Domas’ nightly triple-double threat and skillset to be the main cog in the team’s attack may trump Myles’ brilliance on the less glamorous end of the floor.
If the front office makes Turner available, which they have indicated on multiple occasions, he will be a hot commodity around the league. His unique mix of defensive excellence, mobility and perimeter stroke will easily fit with a lot of teams as a hot commodity. The revelation of Oshae Brissett on defense as a wonderful help defender swatting shots and a rugged one-on-one stopper gives the team more cushion to make trading Myles more reasonable than ever before.
Teams to watch: New Orleans, Boston, San Antonio, Los Angeles