Amidst the rumors of the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets trying to swing a trade that would land Kyrie Irving in L.A., presumably for Russell Westbrook, there is a smaller trade that could happen.
The Lakers have been rumored to be interested in acquiring sharpshooter Buddy Hield and center Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers, likely as a Plan B if an Irving trade isn’t consummated.
Such a deal would be a letdown of a consolation prize for fans who have been dreaming of Irving, a seven-time All-Star, reuniting with LeBron James.
Turner has been on the trade block for a while, and it seems he would be willing to play for the Purple and Gold.
Via Lakers Daily:
“According to a recent report, Turner would welcome a move to the Lakers.
“‘Turner, for his part, has been open to a trade out of Indiana going back two years, and he was expecting to be dealt at last season’s deadline instead of [Domantas] Sabonis,’ Sean Deveney of Heavy.com reported. ‘A source with knowledge of the situation told Heavy.com, ‘Of course he would be open to a trade to the Lakers.'”
Turner, who is 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds, is an outstanding shot-blocker who averaged 2.8 rejections this past season. He has led the NBA in that category twice.
He can also occasionally hit 3-pointers and space the floor for his teammates.
However, he is a bit injury-prone, as he has appeared in just 89 games in the past two seasons.
If the Lakers do go after Turner, the big question is how he would fit in the lineup, given they have already signed Damian Jones and Thomas Bryant, two young and solid centers who can each give the team at least 15-20 productive minutes a game.
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