Getty Bulls vs. Pacers
The Los Angeles Lakers‘ $82 million trade target recently sounded off on both LA teams having interest in him.
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner told Law Murray of The Athletic that he’s focused on helping his team get wins despite knowing the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers have targeted him in trade talks.
“Nothing changes,” Turner told Murray. “Just go out there and focus on getting wins for this team. That’s just where my focus lies. You can’t pay attention to outside noise … doesn’t change anything, bro. All I can do is go out there and play my game.”
According to an October 3 report from Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers considered trading Russell Westbrook and unprotected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Pacers for Turner and Buddy Hield before training camp started. The trade didn’t go through since the Lakers were hesitant to give up two picks.
Meanwhile, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report reported on November 15 that the Clippers have discussed targeting Turner, who is in the final year of his contract. The Pacers lost to the Clippers on November 27 but defeated the Lakers the next day. Turner is averaging 18.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.6 blocks on the season while shooting 54.4% from the field, 39.7% from beyond the arc and 82.9% from the free-throw line.
There Are Several Reasons Why Turner Isn’t on the Lakers
Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on November 28 that Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka decided giving up the team’s 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, along with Westbrook, was too steep a price to pay to acquire Turner and Hield. Not everyone in Los Angeles is sold on Turner and Hield.
“Let’s start with Turner’s availability. He has played in only 89 out of 154 of Indiana’s games the past two seasons because of foot and ankle injuries — hardly reliable insurance should (Anthony) Davis get hit by injuries, as he has the past two seasons,” McMenamin reported. “There are other questions the Lakers’ front office considered when evaluating the trade before training camp, sources said, that left L.A. reluctant to go all-in. Questions such as: Would either Turner or Hield be clear-cut members of L.A.’s closing lineup in a playoff game? Would Turner be able to stay on the court if the opponent went small? Would Hield bring enough defensively, or would Ham trust in a wing like Austin Reaves or Troy Brown Jr. more in that spot?
“And, recalling the franchise’s trades for free-agent-to-be Dwight Howard in 2012 and Dennis Schroder in 2020, is it worth risking what could be valuable future draft capital to acquire Turner for what could amount to only a few months in Los Angeles if he walks the way Howard and Schroder did?”
Turner is due $17.5 million this season and will have accumulated more than $82 million in his career once the 2022-23 campaign ends. The veteran becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season. He signed a four-year, $80 million contract with the Pacers in October 2018.
Turner Told ESPN the Lakers Should Acquire Him
Turner told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN in October that the Lakers, who are only 7-12 on the season, should trade for him. The Texas product has spent his entire career with the Pacers.
“If I’m the Lakers, I take a very hard look at this with the position that you’re in,” Turner said. “I know what I can provide for a team. Just playing in the bigger market, I just feel like here in the Midwest, we don’t get the love that I think we deserve. It doesn’t get taken on the national level. You are under the microscope out there at the West. When you are doing bad, you going to hear about it. When you are doing great, you are going to get a lot of love, especially with the love that the Lakers get.
“I think that another aspect is playing with greatness and playing under LeBron (James). I feel like he demands a certain level of excellency, especially at this point of his career. It’s just one of those things when you are out there, you gotta perform. People are going expect you to go out there and hold on to that legacy that Lakers have built over the years.”