Los Angeles Lakers might have a chance to land one of their long-time trade targets as his current team won’t pay him.
The Los Angeles Lakers have had an up-and-down season so far. While their 25-18 record suggests it has been a strong campaign, the truth is a little different.
Their latest win over the Warriors helped them, as it saw the return of Jarred Vanderbilt. Fans were thrilled with what they saw, as he galvanized the defense. And even Mike Bresnahan was in awe of his performance upon returning.
Vanderbilt’s return, along with the recent arrival of Dorian-Finney Smith, has bolstered the roster. But their team still needs some upgrades.
Anthony Davis has pled with the franchise to land a center to help him. And luckily for him, one of the Lakers’ long-time targets might now be available.
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The Indiana Pacers, according to Jovan Buha, might be ready to trade Myles Turner. The center will be a free agent next summer.
And the Pacers don’t want to pay him $30 million per season. So they might decide to send him away for a low price.
“It’s specifically just a basic contract situation of he is about to be an unrestricted free agent and he’s going to want $30+ million and I’ve heard Indiana is not sure if they want to give him $30+ million.”
“If they don’t, then from an asset management perspective, it makes sense to trade him and get something back for him.”
Turner is a player the Lakers have had their eyes on for very long. A strong rim-protecting center who can shoot from deep, he fixes a lot of the Lakers’ problems.
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Turner is having a strong season this year. He currently averages 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. On top of that, he is shooting 39.3% from beyond the arc.
The Lakers are struggling without a center. Their defense has been entirely reliant on Anthony Davis. And while the return of Jarred Vanderbilt helps, they still need some reinforcements.
Turner wouldn’t just be a solid rim protector, but he would also unlock Davis. Having two players of their size will make the Lakers one of the best defensive teams.
On the Lakers, Turner would be one of the top three defenders along with Davis and a player that LeBron James was really impressed by recently.
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