Myles Turner – Lakers should carefully consider potential trade with Pacers

Myles Turner – Lakers should carefully consider potential trade with Pacers

 

Although the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers walked away from trade talks shortly before training camp which involved Russell Westbrook and the Indiana-going capital draft for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, the Pacers center says it’s a deal that might be worth revisiting.

“If I’m the Lakers, I’m looking very carefully at the position you’re in,” Turner said, responding to a question about the potential guest trade on ESPN’s “The Woj Pod” with Adrian. Wojnarowski. . “I know what I can bring to a team – my leadership, my shot blocking, my 3-point ability, and just my ability to make plays on the court.

“And I look at it very long. But when it comes to pulling the trigger, I get paid to shoot. I don’t get paid to make those calls, so I couldn’t answer that.”

The Lakers have been reluctant to include both their future 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to upgrade the current roster in hopes of putting LeBron James and Anthony Davis back in position to fight for a championship.

“We all know picks are so valuable in this league, and someone like me, I’m heading into the last year of my contract and you want to make sure you’re getting a return for your assets,” Turner added.

Turner, a 26-year-old center in his eighth season with Indiana, has career averages of 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 34.9 percent from 3. Hield, a former client of Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka during Pelinka’s days as a player’s agent, connected 43% of his outside shots in seven seasons with New Orleans, Sacramento, and Indiana.

Even with a 13-for-30 performance from the outside in their first win of the season on Sunday, the Lakers still rank last in the league on 26.6 percent 3-point shooting as a team. And with only role players available to play in the center, Damian Jones and Wenyen Gabriel, Davis was tasked with playing the starting 5, even though he suffers from lower back pain and has always preferred the 4.

Wojnarowski reported earlier this month that the Lakers plan to reassess the roster after about 20 games and may consider resuming trade talks around Thanksgiving.

Turner, who has played his entire career in the small market of Indianapolis, said joining a big-name team like the Lakers would be appealing.

“I just feel like here in the Midwest, we’re not getting the love that I think we deserve. … It’s not taken nationally,” Turner said. “You’re under the microscope out there in the West. When you’re bad, you’re going to hear about it. When you’re doing well, you’re going to get a lot of love, especially with the love that the Lakers get.

“I think another aspect that is [appealing is] playing with greatness and playing under LeBron. I feel like he demands a certain level of excellence, especially at this stage of his career. It’s just one of those things; when you are there, you have to perform. People are going to expect you to go out there and carry on that legacy that the Lakers have built over the years.”

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