Should the Warriors pursue Myles Turner?
With the first quarter of the NBA season coming to a close, teams across the league are offered a pretty solid indicator of where they stand amongst the field. With this being said, many teams have the tough choice of deciding whether or not they are buyers or sellers before the trade deadline on February 10th.
At 10-16, The Indiana Pacers have already decided they want to rebuild. In doing so, news broke Tuesday that their three-star players, Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis, and Myles Turner would all be being shopped to other teams for draft capital and or young foundational talent.
Enter the Dubs
The Warriors cannot offer draft capital to the Pacers, but they can offer their second overall pick of the 2020 NBA draft, James Wiseman.
Wiseman, in his second year at the pro level, has yet to see any action this season due to a right meniscus tear he suffered in April last year. In his rookie campaign, the big man from Memphis was plagued by inconsistency never really finding a true role with the team. However, he did show flashes of extreme athleticism and the ability to run the floor, block shots, and catch lobs.
Where do the Pacers fit in all of this?
Indiana has made it clear they want to get rid of Myles Turner, a 7 footer with proven shooting and shot-blocking ability. Something we have yet to fully see from Wiseman. Additionally, Indiana would have to entertain the idea of a young player like Wiseman because as mentioned prior, they are rebuilding, and a young, lottery pick center, is often a necessary piece to do so.
This year, Turner is averaging nearly 40% from three, 2.8 blocks per contest, and an additional 12.6 ppg. The best ability to possess in the NBA is availability. The Warriors are ready to win now, they have the pieces, but lack serious depth at the center position. With the acquisition of Turner, the Dubs would be getting a ready-to-play center that would be able to contribute from jump street. Additionally, a player, that can help take some of the defensive load off of Draymond Green by guarding some of the best centers and/or Power Forwards the Western Conference has to offer.
However, there is something to be said about holding on to Wiseman, if he develops into the player that the organization hopes, they could potentially have a nice young core for years to come in the form of Kuminga, Poole, Moody, and Wiseman. It comes down to the idea of increasing your odds of a championship this year or banking on player development for future title aspirations. Suffice to say, General Manager, Bob Myers has a lot to think about in the coming weeks.
(Credit photo: Joe Robbins/Getty Images)