Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, and he could be a player that ends up on the Lakers radar.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton floated the idea of the Lakers executing a potential sign-and-trade deal for Turner to help fix their issues at the center position, even though the move may be tough to execute.
“Turner has featured in trade rumors so long that he has been linked to just about every team in need of a starting center,” Pelton wrote. “A sign-and-trade would be complicated for the [Golden State] Warriors and the Lakers, but both franchises are clear fits in the unlikely event the Pacers and Turner can’t strike a deal.”
A first-round pick by the Pacers in the 2015 NBA Draft, Turner has spent his entire career in Indiana and has been a big part of the Pacers’ back-to-back appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Last season, Indiana made the Eastern Conference Finals as the No. 6 seed in the East, but it ended up losing to the Boston Celtics in the series. This season, the Pacers are up 2-1 on the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals with Game 4 set for Tuesday night in Indiana.
While Indiana likely wants to keep Turner around as part of the core of the roster going forward, it’s possible that there is a price point where the Pacers would consider moving on from the big man.
During the 2024-25 regular season, Turner averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from beyond the arc.
While Turner isn’t known for his ability as a lob threat – he is a great floor-spacing center – he could fit nicely with the Lakers, especially on the defensive end.
Los Angeles is in need of a center after it traded away big man Anthony Davis in the Luka Doncic trade in February. Jaxson Hayes played a lot of center for the Lakers the rest of the season, but he was basically out of the team’s rotation in the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
At the very least, Turner is a name to watch for the Lakers in the offseason.
