NBA Rumors: Myles Turner Could Be Traded To Wizards For Thomas Bryant, Rui Hachimura, And Jerome Robinson
After swapping the injured John Wall for a healthy Russell Westbrook, the Washington Wizards have succeeded in turning themselves from one of the worst teams in the league into a legitimate playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. However, in order to have a realistic chance of contending for the NBA championship title next season, the Wizards should continue to find ways to surround Westbrook and Bradley Beal with a quality supporting cast. One of the players that the Wizards could target on the market before the 2021 trade deadline is Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers.
According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, Washington may consider sending a package that includes Thomas Bryant, Rui Hachimura, and Jerome Robinson to Indiana in exchange for Turner. If the deal pushes through, Buckley believes that it would help both teams improve their rosters.
“Myles Turner offers a similar blend of length and shooting, only he’s less volatile overall and more effective as a defensive anchor. The runway would still be cleared for Russell Westbrook to attack, and Turner could be a pick-and-pop partner for either of Washington’s starting guards. If the Pacers see Bryant as a younger, cheaper version of Turner, they’d have a hard time walking away from this. Rui Hachimura is already a skilled scorer, and Jerome Robinson might have enough off-the-bounce shake to build upon his mini-breakout in the bubble.”
Trading for Turner would make a lot of sense for the Wizards as it would enable them to make a major upgrade at the center position. The potential acquisition of Turner is expected to boost their performance on both ends of the floor, giving them a very reliable scoring option under the basket, a great rebounder, a quality rim protector, and a floor-spacer. Last season, the 24-year-old big man averaged 12.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Those numbers would further improve once he starts playing for the Wizards. Unlike in Indiana where he needed to battle for playing time and a spot in the starting lineup with Domantas Sabonis, Turner would likely be a permanent starter in Washington. Being traded to the Wizards would not only give him a realistic chance of winning his first championship ring next year, but it could also speed up his development into a legitimate superstar in the league.
Meanwhile, for the Pacers, the proposed scenario would allow them to replace Turner with a younger and cheaper center who wouldn’t mind serving as the primary backup for Sabonis. Aside from Bryant, they would also be receiving two young and promising talents in Hachimura and Robinson that fit the timeline of Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon, and TJ Warren.
