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Myles Turner Trade Rumors: Pelicans, Hornets 'Expressed Interest' in Pacers Center
July 25, 2021
The Indiana Pacers are expected to "once again [gauge] the trade market" for Myles Turner this offseason, according to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans are among those who have shown interest in the 6'11" center.
Sooner or later, the Pacers will probably split up Turner and Domantas Sabonis. They don't complement one another that well, and flipping one of the two would help Indiana address another area of the court.
Considering Sabonis is a two-time All-Star, Turner seems the most likely to go. He's also signed for one fewer year than Sabonis.
Center is an obvious area of need for Charlotte since Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo are both free agents. That's part of the reason the Hornets had been considered an option for Andre Drummond prior to him signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
And in general, Charlotte has to be aggressive in pursuing proven stars because it's not a marquee destination for free agents.
The Pelicans are less of a fit at the moment. Zion Williamson is New Orleans' cornerstone, and the team handed a two-year, $35 million extension to Steven Adams after acquiring him from the Oklahoma City Thunder last year.
B/R's Dan Favale proposed a three-team trade that involved the Pacers, Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs with Turner winding up in New Orleans and Adams going to San Antonio.
If general manager Trajan Langdon could find a taker for Adams, then Turner would make more sense as a traditional rim protector to take the defensive pressure off Williamson.