The Indiana Pacers, who are curently in the middle of a four-game winning streak that helped them regain a secured footing in the playoff picture out East, are beginning to look unlikely to trade the likes of Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, as both veterans are proving to be perfect fits next to the team’s younger core players.
However, the rumor mill doesn’t seem to align with that at all. In fact, one ESPN writer bared a potential sleeper team that could eventually find themselves engaging the Pacers on a Turner trade.
ESPN reveals potential sleeper for Myles Turner trade with the Indiana Pacers
In a recent podcast episode of “The Lowe Post,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Tim MacMahon broke down potential scenarios surrounding the Houston Rockets and the rumored possibility of James Harden returning to the H-Town in the offseason.
Lowe mentioned in his pod that Houston could potentially zero in on Myles Turner as either a trade candidate or a player to pursue via free agency, though he expressed uncertainty as to how realistic that track could be for the Rockets.
Let’s zoom in on how a trade framework between the Pacers and the Rockets could look like around Turner and use that as a benchmark on whether Indiana should eventually yield if Houston comes calling.
What could a Pacers-Rockets trade for Myles Turner look like?
Believe it or not, this is the only possible trade setup to make the salaries match for both the Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets. An Eric Gordon-Myles Turner swap makes the most (and only) sense financially.
Gordon, 34, has long been one of the more reliable veterans in the league. A three-and-D specialist, he has been a key player in a lot of playoff clubs, particularly with those contending Rockets teams led by James Harden from 2017-2020. However, he finds himself as the lone holdover from those teams, as he is still in Houston despite the franchise pivoting to a rebuild.
The Rockets would certainly welcome the prospect of moving on from Gordon, especially with the veteran being an obvious misfit next to their young players. Pursuing Turner especially makes sense for them, as they have been touting a poor defense for the last couple of years and badly need some defensive reinforcement if they want to accelerate their rebuild.
That being said, does this trade make sense for the Indiana Pacers, if at all?
Should the Indiana Pacers consider a Rockets trade for Myles Turner?
Quite frankly, the Indiana Pacers should cross out the Houston Rockets as a team to consider in a potential Myles Turner trade, if that window is even open in the first place considering how well the big man has played amidst the team’s encouraging campaign so far.
With Turner and the Pacers having commenced motivated talks toward an extension, it’s increasingly unlikely that a trade is as imminent as once widely believed around the league. All rumors pointing to the contrary however, while distracting, do have credence to them given how the big man is a flight risk.
Still, if Indiana traipses that route, they could do much better than Eric Gordon and the Rockets’ 2023 first-rounder from Brooklyn, which may not be as valuable considering how well the Nets are playing.
No offense to Gordon, a well-respected veteran, but he is not the player he was when he won Sixth Man of the Year. With the Indiana Pacers already having a crowded backcourt to begin with, he will only be another player they need to declutter if he is in the fold.