Indiana Pacers: 4 teams to watch on NBA Draft Night
By Luke Parrish
Will the Charlotte Hornets impact the Indiana Pacers’ draft?
The Charlotte Hornets are another team to monitor on Thursday. They nailed their 2020 draft by adding LaMelo Ball and finding their building block of the future. Ball helped lead the Hornets to the Play-in tournament against the Pacers and has the Hornets on the upswing.
Charlotte has reportedly been interested in Myles Turner for a while and a trade could easily make sense between the two sides. Charlotte has two promising players that Indiana should value in P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges. The Hornets hold the 11th overall pick in this draft, putting them in range for Kai Jones if they opt to take a center. If so, that could remove them from the Turner chase.
With Memphis leaping them in the draft order, Charlotte and Indiana may be enticed to keep their picks to lock up the players they want. The Hornets are a promising young team that should encourage the Pacers to get better this summer. With two centers set to hit free agency, I expect Charlotte to be aggressive in replacing them.
Charlotte could also look to move Gordon Hayward after just one season that was derailed by injuries. Will we see even more Myles Turner/Gordon Hayward swap ideas this summer?
Indiana has a lot on the table with the Hornets heading into the draft. Trading Myles Turner to a team that desperately needs a center in exchange for a young wing with insane athleticism is a deal the Pacers cannot pass up, especially given the lack of success with a two-big lineup.