We are just about four weeks away from the NBA trade deadline. With the league expanding the playoff field this season, it won’t be as easy to decipher which teams are buyers and sellers. However, there are a few trades that playoff teams could make to help push them closer to contending. With that, there will be plenty to monitor in the latest NBA trade rumors.
One intriguing trade that could be made involves the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat. The Pacers are cruising along at fourth place in the Eastern Conference, while Miami, the defending Eastern Conference Champions, have struggled at times this season and are currently in 10th place.
This trade would shake things up for both teams. In this swap, the Pacers would be sending Myles Turner out of town in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kelly Olynyk and a 2025 first-round pick.
Turner would represent a sell-high opportunity for the Pacers. This season, the Pacers are markedly better with Turner on the court than Domantas Sabonis, a flip from the 2019-20 season. He is leading the NBA in blocks per game and should be in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year award. His calling card is defense, but he is also a capable floor spacer, knocking down 35.2 percent of his 3-point attempts in his career.
Is the package the Miami Heat are offering enough to get a deal done? Honestly, no. Tyler Herro had some explosive showings in the Orlando Bubble and is as confident as they come. He has improved his stats across the board, but he leaves so much to be desired defensively that it drags down his Player Efficiency Rating below league average at 12.89.
Tyler Herro would bring another dimension to the team offensively, making for an intriguing trio with Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert once LeVert is cleared to return. Would Indiana be willing to take the risk of that becoming special as the reason to trade away Myles Turner?
Olynyk is salary filler on an expiring deal and the 2025 pick is probably not enough of a sweetener to get this done. Another young player, such as Kendrick Nunn, could help the team now and in the long-term. Or, more draft picks as compensation. 2025 is too far off to know how good of an asset that will be.
From the Miami Heat’s standpoint, this is a deal they would rush to call the NBA offices about to get done. Myles Turner would give them one of the best frontcourt duos when paired with Bam Adebayo. They would stifle teams defensively given Adebayo’s tenacity on that end of the court and Turner protecting the rim.
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In Miami, Olynyk was used as a floor spacer offensively but wasn’t a great defender. Turner can space the floor, albeit a little less efficiently than Olynyk, but the difference in the two defensively more than makes up for whatever extra Olynyk brought offensively.
This hypothetical trade comes down to whether or not the Pacers feel the need to split up their frontcourt pairing of Turner and Domantas Sabonis. It is a bit of an awkward pairing at times, as Sabonis would be better off playing center given his athletic limitations. This season, the Pacers are surprisingly losing the minutes the two are paired together.
Myles Turner’s value may never be higher, and if the Pacers want to build around Sabonis in the middle, the time to make a move could be now when the iron is hot. This Miami deal leaves a little to be desired, but if they let it be known that Turner is available, the packages will improve as teams bid against each other.
