The Indiana Pacers have a tough decision coming up with big man Myles Turner.
When Turner is at his best, he’s one of the better centers in the NBA.
However, there have also been times throughout the playoffs when Turner doesn’t play up to his ability, evident by his Game 4 showing against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Turner finished with just 12 points on 3-10 from the field and 0-6 from 3-point range. He only had two rebounds and two assists, a tough showing for the 29-year-old.
The Pacers are expected to pay him, but it remains uncertain what will happen until things are finalized.
If that doesn’t happen and the Pacers lose in the finals, there’s a chance they could look to move on from him.
In a recent trade idea from Bleacher Report, the Pacers would accomplish finding a replacement for him in the form of Dereck Lively of the Dallas Mavericks.
“Dereck Lively II played only 36 games due to injury this past season, but he was an integral piece of a Mavs team that made the 2024 Finals. His mobility in space is uncommon for a 7-footer, and he’d be a major upgrade as an offensive rebounder, lob-catcher and shot-blocker over anything the Pacers currently have,” Grant Hughes wrote.
“He also made sneaky growth as a passer, jumping up to the 93rd percentile among bigs in assist-to-usage ratio this past season. That would play well in Indiana’s movement-heavy attack.”
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The trade idea would bring back Bennedict Mathurin of the Pacers, giving the Mavericks a young player they could look to build with as they’re in a win-now situation, but are expected to add Cooper Flagg with the first overall pick.
The Mavericks need talent to pair with Flagg, and there have been parts throughout Mathurin’s career where he’s shown to be an excellent player.
