In just a few days, the Indiana Pacers will kick off their second-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. After eliminating the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, the Pacers will look to achieve another tough task and eliminate the No. 1 seed to advance to the conference finals for the second consecutive season.
The Pacers have their eyes set on Cleveland right now, but sooner or later, they will have to make some difficult decisions in the offseason, particularly regarding long-time big man Myles Turner.
Turner is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer. Though the Pacers' front office has already made it clear that they will prioritize bringing the Texas native back in the summer, nothing is official. As a top target in the upcoming free agent market, Turner will be highly coveted, and there is a legitimate chance that he could leave the Pacers in the offseason. However, if all goes right, the Pacers will keep Turner around, and they may have to monitor an old friend to ensure that this happens.
Former Pacers big man could be on the move this summer
The team that has been linked to Turner the most is the Los Angeles Lakers. Los Angeles has reportedly pursued Turner multiple times in the past. This includes earlier this year after they traded big man Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic. Now that Turner is a free agent (and the Lakers badly need a center), it is fair to assume they will be a full go in his sweepstakes. However, there is another big man who could be on the market that the Lakers may have interest in.
In a recent episode of the Game Theory Podcast (YouTube link), Sam Vecenie suggested that the Lakers should pursue Orlando Magic big man Goga Bitadze in the offseason to fill their center needs. Vecenie notes that Bitadze is a legitimate center, but the Magic could trade him due to his decreasing role with the team.
During Orlando's first-round series against the reigning champion Boston Celtics, Bitadze appeared in just three of five games and logged a total of two points and three rebounds in 11 minutes. The Magic started Wendell Carter Jr. in each game over Bitadze instead.
Many Pacers fans remember Bitadze's stretch with the team from 2019 to 2023. During that stretch, Bitadze appeared in 170 games and started 21 of them before the Pacers waived him, clearing the way for him to join the Magic.
Bitadze is a solid big man on a good contract. He could make sense in Los Angeles, but even more importantly, acquiring him may take them out of the running to land Turner in the offseason. Regardless, this will be crucial to monitor once the season is over as it could be what keeps Turner in Indiana for a little while longer.