NBA Rumors: Warriors Could Get Myles Turner In Three-Way Trade With Pacers & Hawks, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
In a trade idea explored on Bleacher Report‘s latest mock draft, the publication suggested the Golden State Warriors could acquire center Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers in a three-way deal also involving the Atlanta Hawks.
According to the outlet’s Jonathan Wasserman, the hypothetical deal would be contingent on Hawks guard LaMelo Ball getting picked first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA Draft, as that would leave Anthony Edwards as the likely No. 2 choice.
With the Pacers potentially needing another “explosive scoring wing” due to the uncertainty surrounding Victor Oladipo’s health, Wasserman explained that Indiana could benefit by trading up to No. 2 and targeting the former Georgia Bulldogs star.
In addition to the Pacers getting the second pick and Turner going to the Warriors, the recommended move would send the Hawks’ No. 6 selection to Golden State, with Atlanta receiving Warriors wingman Andrew Wiggins and Minnesota’s top-three-protected first-round pick in the 2021 draft.
As further noted, the deal would give the Pacers multiple options. The organization could have Edwards and Oladipo play together in the same starting lineup, or ship the former All-Defensive selection before his contract expires in the summer of 2021 and focus on developing Edwards into a “potential top option.”
The idea of the Warriors acquiring Turner from the Pacers to address their needs in the middle is nothing new, as previously reported by The Inquisitr.
Last month, Bleacher Report‘s Dan Favale proposed a transaction that would allow Golden State to land Turner and Oladipo while sending Wiggins, big man Kevon Looney, backup guard Jordan Poole, and multiple first-round selections to Indiana. However, it was also noted at the time that a third team might need to be involved in order for the trade to work.
According to Basketball-Reference, Turner started in all of the 62 games he appeared in during the 2019-20 regular season, putting up averages of 12.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 2.1 blocks while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Wiggins has also been mentioned in various trade suggestions, including a few that proposed sending him to Atlanta. The former No. 1 overall pick was described in July as an “under-the-radar” target for the Hawks and a potentially great fit alongside the team’s high-scoring starting point guard, Trae Young. In a 2019-20 season where he split time between the Timberwolves and Warriors, Wiggins averaged 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 44.7 percent from the field.
