3 Teams That Should Trade For Myles Turner

The Indiana Pacers are ready to blow it up. Word leaked out on Tuesday, that they are listening to trade offers for some of their well-established star veterans. 

Big man Myles Turner is one of those up for grabs. 

Turner is a beast on defense, protecting the rim at a level that's unmatched. He's leading the NBA in blocked shots for the 3rd time in 4 years. On offense, he can also stretch the floor, shooting 39% from three this season, averaging 35.6% for his career. 

Although there are many teams around the league that could use a rim-protector and floor-spacer like Turner, let's have a look at three teams that should definitely make a play for him. 

Golden State Warriors

This would be unfair to the rest of the NBA. The Warriors are already tied at the top of the league with a 20-4 record. And they'll be adding Klay Thompson in short order. Imagine what their defense would look like if they added the rim-protection of Myles Turner. 

Center has always been a bit of an afterthought, if you will, for the Warriors throughout their championship/contending run of the past several years. Plug in the shot-changing defense of Turner to their overall stellar team 'D', and it's hard to imagine how teams will score against them at all. 

Last year's No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman would be the obvious target for Indiana in any trade for Turner. But the Warriors also have their two draft picks from 2021 they could put on the table, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets have designs on making some noise this season in the Eastern Conference, with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges leading the way. 

Their defense, however, is horrendous. Sitting 29th in the NBA in defensive rating, and 29th in opponents' points in the paint, Turner would be a perfect fit here. 

While the Hornets can get to the basket with the best of them, their defending of the rim is a disaster. Turner's shot-blocking defense is precisely what they need. He's still only 25 years old, and can grow with the Ball/Bridges core. 

The Hornets have some youth to send back to the rebuilding Pacers, starting with this year's 1st rounder, James Bouknight. The Pacers, though, may push instead for PJ Washington as the focus of a package. 

Los Angeles Lakers

Needing a shakeup badly, the Lakers could certainly benefit from Turner on both ends of the floor. They're sitting 3rd-last in the NBA in opponents' points in the paint, and they're desperate for all the floor-spacing they can get on the offensive end. 

Here's the bad news for the Lakers' front office: They'd likely have to surrender Talen Horton-Tucker. They've been loathed to consider moving THT to this point, but receiving a 25-year-old Turner could really move the needle here. 

Photo Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports