NBA Rumors: Pacers Could Acquire Andrew Wiggins For Myles Turner & TJ Warren, ‘Bleacher Report’ Suggests
Following his trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Golden State Warriors earlier this year, Andrew Wiggins turned out to be a productive acquisition for the team, making up for a slight decrease in scoring with a more well-rounded game, especially on defense. But with the former No. 1 overall pick likely to lose touches and see his numbers go down once Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson return from long injury-related absences, his name is still frequently mentioned in trade rumors and suggestions. These include one hypothetical deal that would send him to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for two of their starters — center Myles Turner and forward T.J. Warren.
In a list of trade ideas published on Tuesday, Bleacher Report pointed out how Wiggins, despite his ability to score, has left a lot to be desired in terms of career win shares for players in their age-24 season. That, as noted by the outlet, is one reason teams, including the Warriors themselves, might not be too willing to pay him the $94.7 million he is owed over the next three seasons. However, the Canadian wingman was compared favorably to Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell — the same player he was acquired for before the February trade deadline — due to the possibility he might also be a “bridge to something better.”
Andrew Wiggins' last 4 games:
30 PTS | 6 ASTS | 2 STLS
40 PTS | 5 REBS | 7 ASTS
25 PTS | 4 REBS | 5 ASTS
33 PTS | 6 REBS | 5 ASTSBreakout year? pic.twitter.com/sesGVY0nk0
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 12, 2019
As suggested by Bleacher Report, the Pacers could be a good trade partner for a blockbuster deal involving Wiggins, with the Warriors also sending two 2019-20 rookies — forward Eric Paschall and guard Jordan Poole — to Indiana, as well as the 2021 second-round pick they got from Minnesota in the Russell deal. In return, Golden State would get Turner and Warren, both of whom were referred to as good fits for a team that finished with the worst record this season.
Talking about Wiggins’ expected contributions if traded to the Pacers, the publication predicted that he could turn out to be the top player in the recommended trade, due to his well-documented scoring ability and his potential to emerge as a top defender. It wasn’t explained how Paschall, Poole, and the second-rounder might be of help, but Bleacher Report wrote that they could also serve as trade chips for another transaction if the Pacers decide to retool their roster to improve their chances of a championship run.
Although Turner has seen his stats (11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, per Basketball-Reference) decline due to the Pacers’ focus on fellow 23-year-old big man Domantas Sabonis, Bleacher Report explained that his three-point shooting and shot-blocking could help the Warriors address their interior defense issues without compromising their spacing. As for Warren (18.7 points, four rebounds, 37.5 percent from three-point range), the 26-year-old was described as a “sneaky-good” addition who could also contribute on both ends, either as a starter or as the top-scoring option off the bench.
