Pacers' Myles Turner Ruled Out for Opener vs. Wizards with Ankle Injury
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner will miss Wednesday's season-opening matchup against the Washington Wizards with a sprained left ankle, the team confirmed.
The injury occurred during pregame warm-ups, per Brett Bensley of Fox 59.
Terry Taylor will get the start for the Pacers in Turner's stead.
Turner, 26, appeared in just 42 games for the Pacers last season, hampered by injuries. He averaged 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and an assist per game when healthy, shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.
He was the subject of trade rumors during the offseason, namely in a package deal with Buddy Hield to the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade that would have sent Russell Westbrook and two first-round picks back to Indiana, per The Athletic.
That deal never came to fruition, but if the Lakers continue to struggle like they did in their season-opening loss to the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, those talks could reignite.
Such a deal would make sense for the Pacers, meanwhile, as they appear to be building around a young core of Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte, Jalen Smith and Bennedict Mathurin and likely wouldn't mind the type of mediocre season that could put them in play to win the draft lottery and add a potentially transcendent talent like Victor Wembanyama.
At the very least, adding some future draft picks would be a plus (Westbrook would surely be bought out in such a deal). Turner and Hield are veterans that would help a veteran team like the Lakers far more than a rebuilding one like Indiana.
For now, however, the Pacers will be hoping Wednesday's injury doesn't become a recurring theme this season. Given that Turner has struggled with injuries in the past, it's a legitimate concern.
