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The Dallas Mavericks are below .500 on the season with a record of 12-13. Their early season struggles have primarily been due to injuries and adjusting to a brand new head coach, but something needs to change soon.
In the modern NBA, the ability to shoot 3-pointers and play quality defense is a necessity for a team with championship aspirations.
To this point, the Mavs are a bottom-five 3-point shooting team and have just the 17th rated defense in the NBA. The combination of these two things are the reason that Dallas has looked so mediocre this season.
If the current roster isn’t going to get it done, is it time to make a trade?
The Mavericks’ weakest position on the roster is center. While they’ve got quality depth, nobody on the roster has emerged as the top big on the team.
As such, it would be ideal if the Mavs could find a legitimate starting center that can space the floor and play defense.
Luckily for them, Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers fits this mold and is someone they could actually go acquire.
Turner’s Availability
As first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Indiana Pacers are moving toward a rebuild and receptive to trade talks centered on Caris LeVert and either Domantas Sabonis or Myles Turner.
With that in mind, the Mavericks know Turner is actually available on the trade market. Additionally, he seems to be somewhat unhappy with his role in Indiana, which adds additional pressure.
“It’s clear that I’m not valued as anything more than a glorified role player here, and I want something more, more opportunity,” Turner told The Athletic earlier this week.
Getty ImagesMyles Turner celebrates with Pacers teammate Domantas Sabonis.
Turner would go on to reflect on his time with the Pacers and the lack of a consistent role.
“I’ve been given many roles in the years that I’ve been here, and I feel like I’ve been able to produce at a high level in the roles I’ve been given,” Turner said. “I’ve shown that I can do the things they ask me to do, and I think it’s time to put that all together and be a more prominent night-in, night-out guy on the offensive side of the ball instead of someone who is asked to be a floor spacer and hide in the shadows.”
Turner is only 25 years old and fits the Dallas timeline of being competitive now but also having the longevity to achieve sustained success.
What would Myles Turner bring to the table if the Mavericks were able to trade for him?
Rim Protection and Floor Spacing
Turner is one of the best defenders in the entire NBA. In fact, he currently leads the league with 2.7 blocks per contest. With his 7-foot-4 wingspan, Turner has the ability to protect the rim but also clog passing lanes.
POWERFUL FROM MYLES TURNER 😤
For the Mavs, he would immediately improve their mediocre defense while also establishing himself as a true starting center, playing along side Kristaps Porzingis.
Offensively, Turner would also open things up for Dallas. This season, he’s averaging 13.1 points on just 8.9 shot attempts per game. He’s shooting 68.5% from the floor on 2-point attempts.
Turner is the ideal modern center with his ability to stretch the floor. The big is converting on 39.8% of his 4.7 3-point attempts this season.
Both offensively and defensively, Turner would help with quite a few deficiencies the Mavericks have. While it’s unclear what a Myles Turner trade package would look like, he’s certainly available on the market.
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Trade: Would Myles Turner Fix the Dallas Mavericks?