3 Myles Turner trade pitches: Reject, repair, and rejoice for Pacers

3 Myles Turner trade pitches: Reject, repair, and rejoice for Pacers: Jonas Valanciunas

This is the trade that we’ll be repairing, though it still may not be perfect by the time we’re finished. However, we’ll make it intriguing enough to the point where Indiana Pacers fans would at least raise their eyebrows.

Here is the initial deal that was mocked up:

Pacers receive: Jonas Valanciunas, Kira Lewis Jr., Naji Marshall

Pelicans receive: Myles Turner

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report wrote up this trade earlier this summer. The premise makes some sense, but as a whole, it’s still not great for the Pacers.

Indiana would essentially be downgrading their center position in exchange for an unproven young point guard and a solid rotational wing. It just doesn’t jump off the page as a trade Indiana would want to make.

However, a couple of tweaks could make this a bit more interesting for Indiana. Here’s a quick change:

Pacers receive: Jonas Valanciunas, Dyson Daniels, 2027 first-round pick (via MIL)

Pelicans receive: Myles Turner

Rather than taking on Kira Lewis Jr. and Naji Marshall, the Pacers would get back Dyson Daniels and a first-round pick in this deal.

Daniels showed some serious flashes of potential last year with the New Orleans Pelicans, and with his size, there’s a world where he could fit well next to Tyrese Haliburton.

Plus, the first-round pick would be a nice asset for Indiana to add to their arsenal moving forward as they look to construct a solid roster around Haliburton.

Obviously, Turner’s defensive presence and floor spacing would make him an ideal fit next to Zion Williamson in New Orleans, and with their solid depth, they could be willing to send out some assets to upgrade the center position and get a bit younger.

It’s not perfect, but it’s intriguing.