Getty Myles Turner and Kelan Martin defend a shot from Knicks guard RJ Barrett.
The New York Knicks are mired in a bit of a slump after getting off to a hot start this season.
The signings of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier looked like massive upgrades, at least on paper, but Walker now finds himself out of the rotation completely after his struggles.
Currently, the Knicks find themselves one game below .500 at 12-13, but there’s still plenty of time for them to get things turned around.
The Pacers, who are just one game back in the win column, appear to be trending toward a rebuild, and it could result in a fire sale of their talent. One name of interest is big man Myles Turner, somebody who has proven to be a dominant shot blocker and has shown flashes of outside shooting.
According to a report from SNY’s Ian Begley, there are people in the Knicks organization who are interested in acquiring the Pacers center.
Turner to the Knicks
GettyMyles Turner of the Pacers skies for the rebound over Rudy Gobert of the Jazz.
If the Knicks were able to land Turner, he’d provide a huge boost to the team. For starters, the Knicks have had a very banged up rotation of centers to start the season, so getting somebody who’s able to stay healthy would provide a massive boon.
Turner would be a nice blend of Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson, somebody who is young and spry enough to catch lobs, but also somebody who is able to leak out to the three-point line and knock down some shots.
Floor spacing big men are difficult to come by in the NBA, and having one of them on your team can open up a variety of different options.
However, the big problem in a trade like this is the fact that Turner is making $17.5 million, so the Knicks would have to find a way to match that salary. This would mean giving up some of the young pieces that make up the Knicks core.
An obvious option would be Robinson because acquiring Turner would mean the Knicks have an over abundance of big men and not all of them would be able to get minutes. Robinson hasn’t signed an extension, so he would definitely seem like the odd man out, especially when you consider he came off the bench in the win over the Spurs and loss to the Pacers.
Other Teams Have Interest
GettyMyles Turner defends Nikola Jokic in a March game.
With a player who is as young as Turner, and somebody who has his skill set, it makes sense that other teams would have interest in him.
He could easily provide a big boost to championship contending teams like the Nets or Lakers, but it might not be possible for those teams to get him because of his salary, so this is where the Knicks could come into play.
Another option in a trade would be Kemba Walker, who would more than likely be subsequently bought out if he was traded to Indiana. The bottom line is the Knicks could make this trade work if they were willing to give up some of their young talent.
If they are trying to upgrade their roster on the fly and make it to the playoffs for a second year, this might be the move they need to make.
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