The Los Angeles Lakers have shifted their focus to Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner, Clutchpoints’ Anthony Irwin reported on Monday, Jan. 28, before they lost Anthony Davis to an abdominal muscle strain.
“Mere days ago, names like Jonas Valanciunas or Nikola Vucevic were more the Lakers’ focus but, with the Chicago Bulls demanding a first-rounder for Vucevic and Washington asking for a protected first for Valanciunas, the Lakers have shifted their attention, sources say,” Irwin wrote.
Irwin added the Lakers have held extensive internal conversations about making an offer for Turner and weighed “whether it makes sense to put both the first-rounders they can move this trade deadline on the table for him.”
It is unclear if Turner, who was in the trade rumor mill for the past three years, is truly available. Turner’s impending free agency gives hope for playoff-contending teams, like the Lakers, who are seeking a floor-spacing rim protector.
The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported the Pacers might make him available for the right price.
“Given his impending free agency, there is a sense around the league Turner is sneakily gettable and can be had for the right price. He’s going to be seeking a contract starting in the $30-plus million range annually, and the Pacers aren’t sure if they want to pay him that much, according to league sources,” Buha wrote.
Perfect Frontcourt Partners
Davis has long desired to play next to a center. He made it publicly known last week in a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Shams Charania.
“I think we need another big,” Davis told Charania before the Lakers trounced the weary defending champions Boston Celtics 117-96 on Jan. 23. “I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been the 4, having a big out there. We know it worked when we won a championship with JaVale [McGee] and Dwight [Howard] at the 5 and I’m at the 4.”
The 6-foot-11 Turner is one of the rare modern-day NBA big men who is a perfect fit with Davis. Turner is shooting a career-high 39.3% from the 3-point line this season while averaging 2.0 blocks, fifth in the league. Even if he regresses to his career norm which is 35.9%, Davis hasn’t played with a big man like him.
Costly Trade
“One real question for Los Angeles is whether Turner would re-sign this summer at a number they’re comfortable with. If the answer to that question is yes, then maybe, just maybe, this is the year Rob Pelinka trades for him,” Irwin wrote.
Unless LeBron James declines his $52.7 million player option and takes a substantial paycut, the Lakers could still have enough cap room to build a solid supporting cast even if they would have to pay Turner in the $30-million range.
If not, the Lakers will potentially owe close to $140 million alone to James, Davis ($54.2 million) and Turner. The projected salary cap for next season is $154.6 million while the luxury tax threshold is projected to be $187.9 million.
If the Pacers entertain trading Turner, they will certainly want a decent center under a team-controlled contract in return. The Lakers will likely need to rope in a third team if that happens.
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