Indiana Pacers: Grading two non-Lakers Myles Turner trades from B/R

Will landing another big man in return for Myles Turner make sense for the Indiana Pacers?

This is definitely not the let’s-squeeze-a-draft-pick-somehow deal that the Indiana Pacers are envisioning to garner for Myles Turner. If anything, this is a proposal that only seeks to better the currently undermanned, and at times, underwhelming LA Clippers.

But that is just the non-visceral glimpse. Of course, Turner carries with him a red flag (banner even) as a glaringly obvious flight risk. Any team hoping to trade for him will essentially be pursuing a rental. Hence, if only Myles is on the table and the Lakers are not the team on the opposite panel, a first-round pick is simply a shard of utter fantasy.

Ivica Zubac is a pretty solid center (9.1 points and 11.1 rebounds per game this season). Naturally, at just 25, he could function as a supporting piece for a young core given his young age. However, the same could be said for the 26-year-old Turner. Ratiocinating this to justify wanting Zubac, when the Pacers aren’t necessarily lacking in the center position, is quite the gamble.

If Indiana is discontent with the current production at the position, which is currently manned in varying capacities between the troika of Isaiah Jackson, Goga Bitadze, and Jalen Smith, then landing the Croatian big man will arm them with a potentially big upgrade. Meanwhile, Coffey and Preston definitely have upside, though the Pacers do not need more mouths to feed in the backcourt as currently constructed.

Grade: B+