Indiana Pacers Receive: F Gordon Hayward, NOP 2022 1st Round Pick (Lottery-Protected, via CHA)
Charlotte Hornets Receive: C Myles Turner, F T.J. Warren
This is a very straightforward trade and it should be. The Charlotte Hornets have had an interest in Myles Turner for what seems like ever since he entered the league and the Indiana Pacers have been all about finding a way to acquire Gordon Hayward for years.
Back when Hayward left the Jazz in the offseason before the 2017-18 season, the Pacers were heavy-frontrunners to land the All-Star forward, but then he ultimately decided to sign with the Boston Celtics. Then, following the 2019-20 season when his contract in Boston was up, the Pacers were in play to land Hayward again, but then the Hornets ended up acquiring him from the Celtics.
Kevin Pritchard and the Pacers’ front-office have done a bad job at hiding the fact that they want Gordon Hayward, which is why they could be willing to give up Myles Turner to acquire him. Turner is entering his 7th season with the Pacers and has turned himself into a menace on the defensive end of the floor, but Indiana does not seem to be committed to him long-term.
Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, and Malcolm Brogdon seem like the three guys they are most invested in right now, with T.J. Warren also being a guy they could look to extend long-term since his contract is up after this year.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: 3 Myles Turner Trades For Indiana Pacers To Consider
Myles Turner is the “odd-man-out” right now and if they were looking to upgrade talent at some point this season, he would be the guy they look to trade first since Sabonis could easily play the center position in smaller lineups.
As for Charlotte, Hayward has been instrumental in the development of some of the young players on the Hornets’ roster and he is their leader, but they do not necessarily need him to be a real threat in the Eastern Conference. Miles Bridges is a high-level, young talent and with the additions of Kelly Oubre Jr. and James Bouknight this offseason, Charlotte has the ability to play without Gordon Hayward.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: 3 Myles Turner Trades For Indiana Pacers To Consider
Beefing up their frontcourt is the final piece of the puzzle for the Charlotte Hornets in terms of taking the next step as a team, which is why they are so intrigued by Myles Turner. He can not only lead the league in blocked shots, but he is also a big man who can excel at playing pick-and-roll basketball with LaMelo Ball given his abilities to step out on the perimeter and knock down three-pointers.
There is a lot to like about this trade from both teams’ perspectives, which is why we could actually see something similar to this deal get done between the Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers this season.
