Report: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner
Myles Turner has been mentioned in trade rumors involving the Los Angeles Lakers for months. But recently, a different team has been linked to the Indiana Pacers veteran big man.
According to a report from Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the Los Angeles Clippers have interest in Turner as well.
"According to multiple sources, the Clippers have discussed targeting Myles Turner in the market," Pincus reports. He adds that the Clippers are shopping some of their wings in trades to make a deal.
Los Angeles has several forwards on their roster, and some of them play center on occasion as head coach Ty Lue plays small-ball lineups. Even with those wing-heavy units, guys like Robert Covington and Amir Coffey don't play much for the Clippers, so it makes sense why they would want to balance their roster and add a talented big man in Turner.
Turner is averaging 17.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, both of which are career highs. He has responded well to trade rumors and wasn't surprised by the reaction to his comments on a potential deal with the Lakers. He knows that the Pacers may have to consider trading him at some point this season since his contract is expiring and the team can't risk losing him for nothing in free agency.
The Clippers traded multiple first-round picks in their deal to acquire superstar forward Paul George, so they don't have a ton of strong assets to move. President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank will have to use some of his limited pieces to make a trade happen.
Los Angeles has first round picks in 2028 and 2029 to deal, but they can only trade one of them due to the Stepien rule. They could trade one and offer up the other one in a pick swap, if they are so inclined. The Clippers also have all of their second-round picks through 2029 except for their 2027 pick, which Atlanta owns.
In terms of young players that swing a trade, the Clippers have recent second-round picks Jason Preston and Brandon Boston Jr. Boston Jr averaged 6.7 points per game as a rookie last season and could be intriguing for other teams.
Would a trade of Covington, Boston Jr, and a 2028 first-round pick be enough to sway Indiana? Would the Clippers need to add more to the deal, like a better veteran or more picks/players? If negotiations ever even take place, the Pacers will have to answer questions similar to those since Los Angeles doesn't have much else to offer.
This situation will be one to monitor. If anything, adding more teams into the mix that have interest in Turner could up his price in trade talks as the season progresses, which will give Indiana more power in negotiations.
The Pacers are 6-6 and are off to a surprising start, and Turner's strong play has been a key part of their effective play.
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