The Los Angeles Lakers might end up making a beeline for Myles Turner again this summer in exchange for three of their players and the No. 19 pick.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley’s proposed trade theory sends Malik Beasley, Mo Bamba, Max Christie, and No. 19 pick to the Pacers for Turner and guard T.J. McConnell.
“The Turner-to-L.A. talks have had such a long shelf life because that fit looks so intriguing on paper,” Buckley wrote. “He could keep the floor spaced for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to attack. On defense, Turner would make the Lakers massive without greatly sacrificing their mobility. Assemble the right supporting cast around them, and you could be looking at a top-five defense and top-10 offense.”
He further added: “That’s championship-level basketball, which should be L.A.’s lone concern with James nearing the end of his legendary career. The Lakers would lose a few long-term assets here, but if anyone should prioritize the present over the future, it’s the Purple and Gold.”
Considering that the Lakers have forever been one of the teams always eager to add a superstar to make them win-now teams, Buckley’s thoughts stem from the fact that LA could use effective names over major players to fill in what they need.
Turner and Buddy Hield were two names that were linked to the Lakers for the majority of the 2022-23 season, but instead, the team made some smart moves in D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasly, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mo Bamba, and Rui Hachimura ahead of the trade deadline.
With the Pacers, Turner averaged 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. McConnell had 8.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. What this move essentially does is give the Lakers a good center, enabling Anthony Davis to slot in at the four. With Vanderbilt in the mix, their defense and the non-AD minutes get a massive boost.
This would be a win-win considering the Pacers get a sharpshooter in Beasley and a two-way impact role player in Christie, who has shown plenty of promise in his rookie season with LA.
The Los Angeles Lakers Will Have Some Decisions To Make
The Los Angeles Lakers will need to make some sound calls ahead of the upcoming season. Whether it’s getting Kyrie Irving on board, pulling off a surprise move by adding Chris Paul, or for that matter even running it back with the same squad that made it all the way to the Conference Finals.
On his part, GM Rob Pelinka has stressed that keeping their young core was a priority. “I’d say this resoundingly clear,” said Pelinka. “Our intentions are to keep our core of young guys together.”
There is no doubt that the Lakers will build around James and Davis, but whether they blow it up or make some sharp moves remains to be seen.
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