Mavs Trade Prospect Myles Turner Talks Injury Status & NBA Rumors
The Dallas Mavericks have been tied to Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner in multiple NBA trade deadline reports over the last few weeks. However, according to the most recent report involving the Mavs and Turner, NBA reporter Marc Stein said that Dallas had already started to back off of the idea of trading for Turner even before the news of his 'stress reaction' foot injury came to light. We assume this is due to Indiana's high asking price.
In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints on Friday, Turner opened up about his injury status, his name being in trade rumors and more.
“I was disappointed when (the injury) first happened,” said Turner. “It’s one of those things where I didn’t know what to think of it in a sense. But, I’ve got nothing but good news about it.”
Although the news about his foot might be 'good,' many expect it to be an injury that keeps Turner sidelined well past the trade deadline that is less than three weeks away. That expectation, paired with the fact that Turner will be eligible for a big contract extension this summer, could be enough to greatly lower his trade value. Perhaps the Mavs would reconsider their stance on trading for Turner if that is the case.
“Of course, you put a little thought into what it would be like leaving, especially with it circulating so much,” said Turner while also admitting that he's become accustomed to being in trade rumors over the years. “But once I’m in between the lines, all those thoughts go out the window. I’m just out there to hoop."
Turner, who is a Dallas native, has always felt like a natural fit with the Mavs if he ever found his way onto the team. Although there have been rumors about Luka Doncic liking the idea of playing alongside Ben Simmons, there hasn't been anything of that nature connected to Turner yet, as far as we know. And even though we'd never expect Turner to actually admit that some player-to-player tampering goes on behind the scenes, he claims that no one has reached out to him.
“I haven’t been contacted by any players directly,” said Turner. “It’s more so reps of players or managers and stuff like that. Small talk here and there, but I really don’t entertain most of that stuff. That’s what I got my people for.”
Regardless of what ends up happening with Turner over the next few weeks, he will remain a Mavs hot topic until the deadline passes. Whether it's Turner, or another two-way center like Sacramento Kings' Richaun Holmes, Dallas' much-improved defense is still in need of a true anchor. We'll find out soon if general manager Nico Harrison can get it done.
