Indiana Pacers: Ranking the team’s 5 most realistic trade assets

A trade for shot blocking extraordinaire Myles Turner affords the Indiana Pacers with a change in dynamics

While trading Domantas Sabonis will easily give the Indiana Pacers the best shot at getting the most assets in return, dealing him away seems unworldly. Despite his defensive struggles and the currently limited ceiling of the team with him as the best player, he still has a lot of room to improve, and also, you don’t just deal a player who already has two All-Star berths at age 25 unless a blockbuster deal with a superstar comes knocking at the door.

Myles Turner, Sabonis’ frontcourt partner, is a lot easier to move. His instant defensive boost and intriguing three-point shot essentially makes him a 3-and-D center which, even in the modern NBA, is a rarity. His value is further amplified by his relatively modest contract at 18 million per season.

While most Indy fans disagree, a breakup between Turner and Indiana seems inevitable at this point. For the Pacers, his skillset is left dangling between offensive misfit and defensive necessity. For Turner, the Blue and Gold is unsurprisingly more invested in Sabonis at this juncture and he’s far from irreplaceable, especially with the league possessing small-ball expediters armed with most of his defensive ammo while supplying a more seamless fit on the scoring attack.

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