NBA Mock Trade: Thunder Pair Chet Holmgren with Myles Turner

The Oklahoma City Thunder have a potential generational big man in Chet Holmgren. He’ll presumably be a day one starter and become a franchise cornerstone.

However, he’ll eventually need to be paired with a frontcourt partner. While the Thunder could opt to draft this player in the future, they could also choose to acquire a proven player that’s still relatively young.

A great fit could be Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers, who is well known around the league to be on the trading block.

Entering the final year of his deal before becoming an unrestricted free agent, whatever team would trade for him knows it could be a rental. Could the Thunder buy low and see how it works out?

Playing alongside a veteran like Turner could actually expedite Holmgren’s development. Additionally, they both are elite rim protectors and can space the floor. This duo could end up being one of the best defensive front courts in the league and also one of the best shooting.

Two 7-footers together that have that skillset is something we rarely see in the NBA. Additionally, Turner is only 26 and fits the Thunder’s timeline.

What could a deal look like if Thunder GM Sam Presti wanted to take a small step forward in the rebuild?

Oklahoma City Receives: Myles Turner,

Indiana Receives: Derrick Favors, Ty Jerome, Theo Maledon and a first round pick

The Thunder have 15 first-round picks between now and the 2029 draft. Several of these are picks from other teams that have protections or don’t project to be top-five selections. For a guy like Turner, Oklahoma City should be willing to part ways with a pick like this.

The Thunder could also include a former top-35 pick in Theo Maledon, who’s shown upside but struggles to get minutes in a crowded backcourt in OKC. With a fresh start and more opportunity, he could blossom.

Similar to Turner, Thunder big Derrick Favors is set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, meaning he’s expiring and will open up cap space. The same goes for Ty Jerome, who’s in the final year of his deal. This would be a lever for Indiana to deal Turner without taking on longterm money.

A move like this also helps the Thunder with their roster crunch, trading three players for one.

For the Pacers, a first rounder for an expiring Turner isn’t a bad return.

Indiana could certainly wait around and find a better deal for Turner, but time is ticking as he enters the final year of his deal and the February trade deadline approaches.

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