Pacers Center Myles Turner Should Be Trade Target For New Orleans Pelicans

Should the New Orleans Pelicans trade for Myles Turner?

Sep 30, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) poses for a photo during 2024 Media day. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

With the preseason underway for the New Orleans Pelicans, the franchise is getting closer to playing in games that count this season. 

It was a busy offseason for the Pelicans, as they were active in the trade market. Accordingly, they made a fairly big splash by acquiring Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. Murray is an excellent two-way guard and figures to be in the long-term plans for the franchise. 

While the trade for the talented guard was a good one for New Orleans, they still have a glaring hole at the center position. Going into the campaign, it appears like the Pelicans will be playing a lot of small and athletic lineups with Herbert Jones logging minutes at the center position. 

Time will tell if this strategy works for New Orleans. While it should have a positive impact on the offensive end of the court with their floor spacing, it’s hard to imagine that they will be able to hold up defensively and on the glass. 

With the center position being a need for the Pelicans, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recently spoke about Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers being a good potential trade target. 

“The combination of New Orleans' weakness at the position and Turner's expiring contract will keep this hypothetical swirling around the rumor mill all the way up to the trade deadline. Turner's perimeter shooting isn't necessarily game-changing (35.8 percent last year), but it's good enough to create the spacing dimension New Orleans simply hasn't had at the position. If you're trying to unlock five-out looks that create space for Zion Williamson to get downhill, Turner's the guy.”

While the Pacers are going to be trying to win in the Eastern Conference this year after a successful playoff run last season, Turner is set to become a free agent at the end of the campaign. 

If Indiana isn’t going to sign, or they don’t believe they can, trading him does make sense to recoup assets. 

However, if the Pacers believe that they are a title contender with Turner, they may try to risk it and keep him in his walk year. That might not be the wisest move, with the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks looking very good on paper right now. 

If Turner is or does become available, he would be an excellent fit for New Orleans alongside Zion Williamson. Surrounding their star with shooters, even at the center position, seems like the best way to get the most out of Williamson.