Pacers News: Troubled West Squad Adds Myles Turner in Massive Trade Pitch

A new trade pitch sends star Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner to a struggling Western Conference team.

Nov 24, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) celebrates a made basket in the first half against the Washington Wizards at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

While the Indiana Pacers started the 2024-25 seasons off struggling, it looks like their favors have turned.

Indiana's victory over the New Orleans Pelicans saw the team meet the expectations set by their excellent performance last offseason, with point guard Tyrese Haliburton recording 34 points and 13 assists and center Myles Turner making 17 points and nine rebounds.

While it's exciting to see Haliburton return to last season's excellence, Turner has been a relatively consistent presence this year, averaging 16.4 points, 7.3 total rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.4 assists, and 0.9 steals per game across 16 games.

This not only makes the NBA veteran a key part of Portland's roster, but a highly sought-after trade piece.

According to Greg Swartz of BleacherReport, there is a chance that Turner could find an excellent fit with the New Orleans Pelicans, a Western Conference team that is currently at the bottom of the standings with a 4-14 record.

This is largely because rookie center Yves Missi has been thrust into the spotlight after teammates have gone out with injury. So far, he is only averaging 7.5 points, 7.3 total rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game. While this isn't terrible, he may not be ready for the starting spot quite yet.

Instead, Swartz recommends trading for Turner or Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks.

"Turner and Lopez are the ideal frontcourt pairings next to Zion Williamson given their shot-blocking and three-point shooting abilities," Swartz said. "Williamson does his best work getting into the paint and bullying players on his way to the rim. Turner and Lopez make sure he has room to do so while also playing good defense on the other end."

While Lopez has a better defensive presence, averaging 5.4 total rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game, Turner is not far behind him and is proving to be more effective offensively.

The only real issue is that the Pacers need more depth underneath the room. Getting rid of a veteran of Turner's caliber would have the opposite effect, right?

Not necessarily. Power forward Pascal Siakam is the best overall scorer on the team, averaging 20.5 points per game. Additionally, he is averaging 6.4 total rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 0.8 steals.

Additionally, center Moses Brown truly came into his own on Sunday's game against the Washington Wizards, recording 15 points, four total rebounds, and one block. If he can continue to produce like this given more time, there's no doubt he can be an effective starting big man.

However, this is all just speculation. Nothing is set in stone, and losing an effective weapon like Myles Turner could be huge for the Pacers.

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