Portland Trail Blazers Receive: C Myles Turner, G Jeremy Lamb
Indiana Pacers Receive: C Jusuf Nurkic, F Robert Covington, POR 2023 1st Round Pick
This would be a huge statement trade if the Portland Trail Blazers were able to execute it, but the question is whether or not it is enough for the Pacers to let go of one of the best defensive players in the entire NBA. To this point in the season, Turner is leading the league in blocked shots per game (3.5 BPG) and is one of the favorites to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Adding him to a team that really struggled defensively in the Blazers could really make a difference for them. Portland is one of the worst defensive teams in the league, but with the addition of Myles Turner, they could definitely make strides to improve on that area of the floor.
Not to mention, Myles Turner has the ability to be a very effective player in Portland’s system. While Nurkic and Kanter are mainly only big guys who can command the paint, Myles Turner can do that and then also step out on the perimeter and knock down a three-point shot.
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In pick-and-roll sets with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, Myles Turner could thrive in stepping out on the perimeter and being on the receiving end of a pass from either of the Trail Blazers’ two guards to knock down a perimeter shot.
With him having two years left on his deal after this season, there is not an immediate need for the Pacers to trade Myles Turner and they do not want to trade him, but if they can get a solid amount of value for him right now, they would definitely entertain the idea.
Getting Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington, two experienced guys entering the final years of their contracts could definitely be useful for the Pacers, especially since they can still contend with these guys on their roster and then free up over $20M in cap space after next season.
There is value to be had on both ends of this trade, so let’s take a closer look as to if this trade truly makes sense for both teams.
