- Myles Turner has been linked to the Lakers for years, but that rumor will become reality during free agency. The Pacers had better realize it, and deal him before Thursday’s 2025 NBA trade deadline.
- By trading Anthony Davis for Dallas’ Luka Doncic, the Lakers need a big man ASAP to capitalize on LeBron James’ final year(s). Turner will be a free agent after the season. Think he’d turn down L.A.?
- But Davis’ arrival in Dallas means one of the Mavericks’ two young centers, 7-1 Derek Lively II or 6-10 Daniel Gafford, is available. Either would look great in a Pacers uniform
For years we’ve debated, wondered, argued – OK, obsessed – over the future of Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner. Which big man stays in Indianapolis, Turner or Domantas Sabonis?
That was settled with the 2022 trade that sent Sabonis to Sacramento for Tyrese Haliburton, but the debate, wonderment, argument – OK, obsession – over Turner’s future remained. Should he be traded? Will he be traded? When will he be traded?
It’s been a circular argument, the kind of thing that goes nowhere – a roundabout without an exit – and over time the answer has become evident: Only a seismic event, like an asteroid hitting Earth, will change the course of things. Barring that asteroid, Myles Turner will retire a Pacer.
Don’t look up, but…
An asteroid is coming this way. Not to get all hysterical on you – watch the 2021 Netflix movie “Don’t Look Up,” and tell me it’s wrong – but Asteroid 2024 YR4 has been detected 27 million miles away, a stony land mass roughly the size of a football field that has, in blandly terrifying language, “a non-zero probability of hitting Earth” on Dec. 22, 2032.
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What does this have to do with Myles Turner? Nothing. But the discovery of something even more shocking than 2024 YR4 has changed everything. Put it like this: What was the chance the Los Angeles Lakers would trade away LeBron James’ buddy, center Anthony Davis? Zero. What was the chance the Lakers would acquire Luka Doncic? Zero.
What’s zero multiplied by zero?
It’s 100%, apparently, because that trade happened – and the Pacers are on a path toward becoming collateral damage.
You can see where this is going, can’t you?
You wonder if the Pacers see it.
NBA trade deadline:Trade rumors persist with Myles Turner. It makes sense for Pacers to deal him — and keep him.
Pacers center Myles Turner to the Lakers?
Here’s what I love about Pacers President Kevin Pritchard: He’s a real person, with a real heart and real emotions and real human tendencies. In other words, he can get fooled by the people on his own roster because he sees the best in them, because he wants to see the best in them. He learned that trait from the best, from Larry Bird, who saw in Paul George a forever Pacer who would do whatever the team asked, even playing power forward.
Yeah, well.
Pritchard inherited that belief when he replaced Bird in 2017 – at least the part about George being a forever Pacer – because George insisted he was staying and people around here, Pritchard and fans and media, heard what they wanted to hear.
George was lying, and once Pritchard figured it out, he sent him to Oklahoma City for Victor Oladipo and Sabonis.
Then it happened again, with Pritchard seeing the best in Oladipo for years, and for years that made sense. Oladipo was almost too good to be true.
Almost.
Oladipo started changing, and the Pacers were among the last to accept it, but eventually Oladipo was sent on his un-merry way.
Doyel in 2017: Pacers finally get the message – Paul George is gone
Doyel in 2021: Oladipo didn’t want to be here, so Pacers replace him with Caris LeVert
Now, Turner.
Listen, Myles Turner hasn’t changed any. Well, yeah he has: He’s grown up. Look, he was 19 when he was drafted. Imagine being 19, with family gassing you up, a city gassing you up, Larry Bird gassing you up. It went to Turner’s head. But he’s come back to Earth, in a happy way – no asteroid there – and become not just the team’s elder statesman, but a consistent player. Now 29, Myles Turner circa 2025 is not Paul George circa 2017 or Victor Oladipo circa 2020.
But he is leaving after this season. No idea if he’s telling the Pacers that. No idea if he’s even telling himself that. But sometimes you’ve got to look at the facts, strip way the nonsense, and make a decision.
Here are the facts:
Without Davis, the Lakers need a center. They’ve always needed more players – more shooters – to space the floor for LeBron, and they’ll need that even more with Doncic. And given LeBron’s age, they need it now.
For some reason, Myles Turner has been linked to the Lakers for years. Has there been a kernel of truth to it, a shred of interest on the Lakers’ part? Probably, sure. Just last week, when the news – or rumor or whatever it was – broke that Turner and the Pacers weren’t on the same page, fiscally, regarding his next contract, guess where that came from? From a Lakers beat writer. Wonder how that happened…
Until now, the rumors linking Turner to the Lakers have felt like nonsense. The Pacers weren’t trading Myles Turner to the Lakers. They weren’t trading him anywhere. Not unless an asteroid came around.
Sure enough.
NBA trade deadline:5 things Pacers could do at NBA trade deadline
Dallas center Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II to the Pacers?
Myles Turner will be a free agent after this season. Let me ask you something:
You think he won’t listen to the Lakers? Think he won’t tell them yes?
Have you lost your mind?
He’s gone. Which means the Pacers have no choice but to trade him before the 2025 NBA trade deadline, Thursday at 3 p.m. EDT, or risk the decidedly non-zero chance of losing him for zero after the season.
Only question, really, is where? Where do the Pacers trade Turner? Maybe a team out there with NBA title hopes will run the risk of a four-month rental, and hope that Turner’s time there pays off so big that he decides to stay as a free agent. Or maybe the Lakers have enough capital right now or bring a third or even fourth team into the mix and make a run at Turner before 3 p.m. Thursday.
Whatever the case, the Pacers have an obvious need to trade Turner in the next 36 hours, and an equally obvious player to pursue as his replacement:
Mavericks center Daniel Gafford. Or Dallas teammate Dereck Lively II.
One of those guys has to go. With Davis, the Mavs now have three starter-quality centers in a league where most teams have just one, and some have none. The arrival of Davis makes Gafford or Lively expendable, and while neither has shown the ability to shoot 3’s, the Pacers need a high-quality big man – someone who can defend the rim and run the pick-and-roll with Haliburton – to replace Turner. Gafford and Lively both shoot 70% from the floor.
Gafford’s 26. Lively turns 22 next week. Advantage, Lively.
Gafford’s under contract through next season, and will earn $14.4 million in 2025-26. Lively would be under team control through the next two seasons, and will earn less than $12.5 million – total – in those two years. Advantage, Lively.
Gafford is 6-10, 234 pounds. Lively is 7-1, 230. Advantage, Lively.
Gafford averages 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 assists in 21.6 minutes. Lively averages 9.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.7 bpg and 2.6 apg in 24 minutes. Advantage, barely, Gafford. Then again, given Lively’s youth, call it a wash.
Bottom line: Lively’s the one to get if possible, but Gafford would be just fine. Their advanced metrics are close, with Gafford’s offensive edge canceling out Lively’s defensive edge. Neither gets as much playing time as Turner, but the analytics prefer Gafford or Lively to Turner, who shoots 40% on 3’s but just 54.7% on 2’s (again, both Gafford and Lively shoot 70% from the floor).
Either Gafford or Lively would look tremendous in a Pacers uniform next season. Turner of course would look sensational as well, but it’s not happening. Los Angeles will come calling, and Turner will say yes. Don’t see what you want to see. See what’s going to happen.
Look up, people. Look up. The asteroid’s coming, with a much better than non-zero chance of hitting Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel onThreads, or onBlueSky and Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar, or at www.facebook.com/greggdoyelstar.
The Indiana Pacers should strongly consider trading Myles Turner at the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline, or risk missing out on valuable assets for the future. Turner, while a talented player, has struggled with consistency and injuries in recent years, making him a potential trade chip for the Pacers to capitalize on.
By dealing Turner, the Pacers could potentially acquire draft picks, young talent, or other assets that could help them build a stronger team moving forward. With the NBA landscape constantly evolving, it’s important for teams to be proactive in making moves that will benefit them in the long run.
If the Pacers choose to hold onto Turner past the trade deadline, they run the risk of missing out on potential trade opportunities and not maximizing his value. It’s crucial for the organization to assess their roster and make decisions that will benefit the team in both the short and long term.
In conclusion, the Pacers should seriously consider trading Myles Turner at the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline in order to secure a brighter future for the team. Making a move now could pay off in the long run and set the Pacers up for success down the road.
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