Getty Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors goes up for a shot on Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers at Chase Center on January 12, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors have stated publicly that the team will not trade its young corps of talent to upgrade the frontline, but not everyone is convinced.
Much can still materialize between now and the February 10 NBA trade deadline that might make the Warriors reconsider. One of the top names in speculative Dubs’ trade talk is Indiana Pacers’ big man Myles Turner, who analysts have argued makes sense as a win-now move for an aging Warriors’ roster that has displayed issues with staying healthy.
The latest Warriors news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Warriors newsletter here!
The primary hindrance to such a deal is what a team like the Pacers with a player like Turner would ask for in return. In all likelihood, second-year big man James Wiseman would need to be included in any deal. Future draft compensation, or even rookies like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody might come into play during negotiations. Some combination of Wiseman and those assets — or, as Golden State owner Joe Lacob might describe that hypothetical trade package, the future of the Warriors’ franchise — would presumably be the Pacers’ asking price.
That would be a steep price for Turner indeed, who is under contract for a guaranteed $17.5 million per season through 2022-23 and could prove a costly addition to the Warriors’ already historically large luxury tax bill next season.
ESPN Analyst Predicts Warriors Will Trade For Pacers Turner
GettyGolden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry and head coach Steve Kerr during a game in 2018.
There is at least one analyst who believes that the Warriors’ talk of their young talent as untouchable might be posturing, at least to some degree.
Jamal Collier, who covers the NBA for ESPN, said during a roundtable Q&A that he believes Golden State is willing to pull the trigger on a deal for Turner.
“Myles Turner gets traded to the Warriors,” Collier wrote as his bold prediction for the trade deadline. “This seems like the right fit for both sides. Golden State has a few young players who could help Indiana start a rebuild. Meanwhile, the Warriors could get a more proven player than James Wiseman as they aim to compete for a championship this season. Plus Turner, who turns 26 this month, can still be a part of the Warriors’ future.”
Turner is leading the league in blocked shots per game this season at 2.8 and finished two of the three previous years as the NBA’s most elite shot blocker based on nightly average. Turner can also rim run, finish around the basket and does some work on the glass, averaging 12.7 points and 6.7 rebounds over his seven-year NBA career.
Turner Could Address Warriors’ Achilles Heel of Frontline Depth
GettyGolden State Warriors forward Draymond Green celebrates during a game against the Indiana Pacers.
The Warriors are the NBA’s second-best team as the All-Star Game approaches, having amassed a win/loss record of 40-13. But despite one of the deepest benches in the league, the Dubs are thin on the frontline. It is a weakness bigger teams have already identified and exploited.
The Warriors traveled to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers back in mid-December with a record of 21-4. Until that game, there had not been a team that truly dominated Golden State, even during any of the four previous losses. The Sixers threw their double-big man recipe of MVP candidate Joel Embiid and backup center Andre Drummond at the Dubs all night. Philly won in convincing fashion, 102-93. Embiid dropped 26 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, while Drummond registered a plus/minus total of +18 points in 15 minutes played.
Dubs’ center Kevon Looney was +12 points in the 25 minutes he was on the floor, but the Sixers bullied the Warriors in the paint for the other half of the game. Draymond Green was healthy back then and was still -5 points in 29 minutes played. Warriors’ power forward Nemanja Bjelica was a disaster against Philadelphia that evening, registering at -23 points in just 13 minutes, as the Sixers big men literally played him off the floor. Now, Green is hurt and Looney is mostly alone on the front line.
Green has missed the team’s last 15 games with a disc injury in his back that has also manifested as calf soreness. His status moving forward is unknown to the public. If Green remains out, or even just hampered, any injury to Looney would prove catastrophic for the Warriors’ frontline defense.
If the Dubs feel confident that Green will return fully healthy at some point before the playoffs, they may just opt to try and find a backup big man with a focus on defense in the buyout market. But if the Warriors are serious about not wasting a year of Steph Curry’s prime, or the prime of the recently returned Klay Thompson who missed nearly two and a half full seasons with major injuries, then Golden State might still choose to move a young asset like Wiseman and bring in a big man who can help them win the fourth title of this era.