Most rumors about Myles Turner being potentially dealt away by the Indiana Pacers, which were virtually all linked to the Lakers, have died down in recent weeks, primarily due to the widely-coveted big man playing the best basketball of his career so far. However, it seems like that won’t be enough to thwart other suitors from trying to pluck him from the team.
A few days ago, some tidbits about another team to watch out for in the Turner sweepstakes, if at all existent, circulated on social media. The LA Clippers, still looking to improve their title odds this season, look intent on trying to trade for the longtime Pacer.
However, a trade between both teams involving the rangy big man makes ZERO sense. And it’s not difficult to see why.
Why the Indiana Pacers should not trade Myles Turner to the LA Clippers
3. Don’t jump the gun!
Whether the Indiana Pacers truly make Myles Turner available for trades beyond the conjectures and imaginations of people is a story for another day, but hypothetically speaking, this is arguably not the best time to put him on the table.
Turner’s injury history may make this a foolish take to some degree, but at the same time, his value has been steadily increasing given his impressive play this season. Yielding to the Clippers at this juncture, or to any team for that matter, is an inarguable concession on Indiana’s part. After all, a bunch of teams, perhaps with richer crests of assets, will definitely line up for the big man’s services if the Pacers brass decides to loosen its grasp.
In fact, aside from biding for a possible extension, Indiana will be wise to gauge the other teams’ situations later down the road and wait if the opportunity to snag a sensible player comes. At that point, Turner will be a heck of a return for a team planning to retool.
Why the Indiana Pacers should not trade Myles Turner to the LA Clippers
2. What does LA even have that is worth entertaining?
The LA Clippers’ payroll is pretty top-heavy, with their clear-cut, top-two players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George occupying more than 40 percent of their salary cap table. That means that they only have role players at best to use to somehow enchant the Indiana Pacers on a Myles Turner deal.
Norman Powell and Marcus Morris Sr., two players whose contracts are the easiest to equate to Turner’s, both make zero sense for Indiana, the former due to roster overlaps, and the latter due to age. Ditto for Luke Kennard, Robert Covington, and Nicolas Batum (plus salary fillers), who do not present sensible fits whatsoever timeline-wise (or salary-wise, in the case of Kennard).
Ivica Zubac is perhaps the best that the Clippers can offer, and even that is far from an engaging gauntlet to launch any potential negotiations. No offense to the Croatian big man, who’s solid in his own right, but the Pacers’ play style will simply not do him justice, and vice-versa.
How about draft compensation? Well, the Clippers, like the other LA team, are bereft of such. In fact, they do not conclusively own any first-round picks until 2027. Sorry, but it’s gonna be Paul George or no deal (hah).
Why the Indiana Pacers should not trade Myles Turner to the LA Clippers
1. Because the Pacers don’t have to move Turner at all
Touting a 9-6 record, the Indiana Pacers seem intent on trying to win now even with an unripe roster. Whether that is ideal or not remains to be seen, but what they do with Myles Turner in the following months will be pretty telling of the franchise’s desired direction in the near future.
The Pacers have been humming as of late, and Turner is a big part of their sudden surge in the East, currently being tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference. The sustainability of that ranking is in the doubtful range, but the big man’s part in getting there in the first place is reflective of how he is currently thriving in his new and more prominent role.
Both the team and Turner’s camp will have to be really creative to negotiate an extension deal that will favor both parties, but having the shot at retaining him, which should have a considerable chance of happening in view of tenure and now, fit, is arguably much better than simply trading him for fear of losing him for nothing.
After all, even if the latter scenario transpires, the Pacers should still come out pretty unfazed, especially given their need for further financial ammunition to cater to looming, expensive extensions for the team’s young core players, particularly Tyrese Haliburton, and surround them with the right supporting cast.