Now is the time when all of the trade suggestions, free agent ideas, and draft pieces are flowing across the internet. And as such, we need to look at them and review them to see what might be smart for the Pacers to do in the coming season.
In a new piece, a trade is proposed between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers, two teams that have been linked for years. The biggest names that have been proposed between the two teams would be players such as Myles Turner and Buddy Hield in exchange for multiple first-round picks from the Lakers. This was a trade that was circulated around the internet and social media circles for years, and supposedly was looked into by the two teams.
But with another offseason come new ideas, especially from teams, such as the Lakers, that are looking to maximize the amount of useful time they have left with their ageing stars. So what is the newest proposed trade between the two teams now?
Myles Turner heads to the Lakers in return for young talent and draft picks
The Athletic has suggested this trade between the Pacers and the Lakers. The Lakers are looking to add another piece to make their roster potentially finals-worthy in the upcoming season. The Pacers are looking to add to their young core as they continue to build for the future. Would this trade end up doing the trick for both teams?
Clearly the Lakers get the best player in the trade, which would be Myles Turner by a significant margin. Mo Bamba is not a starting caliber player in the NBA and Malik Beasley plays a position that the Pacers are already stacked at and is worse than their current options. So it really comes down to what the pick would be in terms of the value of this trade.
If we got the 2023 first round pick, that would be pick 17. Additionally, the Lakers have a future first-round pick they could trade and the Pacers could look to get the protections removed from any future pick they would receive from LA.
So the question is whether or not this trade would be worth it for the Pacers?
This is a terrible idea from the Athletic and one the Pacers would shoot down immediately.
There is very little benefit to this from the Pacers perspective. The players they are getting back don’t really have any long term upside. So we are essentially only getting value in the minutes that would open up for a young prospect like Isaiah Jackson or Jalen Smith.
The pick at 17 is just more draft capital in a draft that we already have too many first round picks. The Pacers need to look to consolidate or move up in the draft, not get additional mid to late first round picks this year.
Ultimately, the trade idea is just awful for the Pacers and we would give the trade a D+.
A future first round pick that is unprotected is a little more intriguing but just barely. I think it would take two first-round picks to get this done as Myles Turner is just coming off the best season of his career.
And given that he just made the commitment to Indiana, I am doubting that the Pacers are going to turn their back on him anytime soon. Expect Turner to be in Indiana for the long-haul.