Christmas has come early this year for the Knicks, as a recent report out of The Athletic suggests that the Pacers may look to rebuild soon (subscription needed).
How does this affect the Knicks, you ask?
Well, in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past 6 months, I’d like to be the first one to let you know that the Knicks fanbase has been clamoring for a Myles Turner trade for a while now.
I myself have written several pieces discussing the idea and why he’s a perfect fit for Thibs’ system.
Sources: The Indiana Pacers are moving toward rebuild, receptive to trade talks centered on Caris LeVert and either Domantas Sabonis or Myles Turner.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 7, 2021
Story with @bkravitz at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/2bGjubFtWe
And Thibs himself has been shouting from the rooftops for the front office to go get him a stretch big-man for months, albeit very subtly.
Is Myles Turner the missing piece for the Knicks?
It seems like every time the Knicks get beat up on by a big man who can shoot i.e. Nikola Jokic or Myles Turner himself, Thibs is singing their praises in the media.
We also know that Coach loves him some rim-protectors, and there’s a very short list of guys who are inarguably better at doing so than the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson.
One of those players happens to be Myles Turner.
Turner is by no means a ‘Superstar’ but he offers a much higher upside on both the offensive and defensive end over Mitchell Robinson.
With Mitch’s pending contract extension looming, along with him not exactly playing up to par as of yet, the Knicks may look to swap the centers this season.
As detailed in the trade, the Knicks essentially do just that, by swapping their young center in Robinson and salary filler in exchange for Myles Turner.
I can’t believe I just referred to Kemba Freakin’ Walker as some measly trade filler, but unfortunately, he seems to be just that.
But I digress.
Maybe it’s just me that assumes Kemba’s name still holds value throughout the league, so, therefore, the Knicks also get a future first in the deal.
In a recent article by SI.com, the author suggested that a trade for Turner could turn the Knicks into title contenders, and while I don’t think that to be the case whatsoever…it would certainly be a step in the right direction.
If the Knicks were to trade for say, Dejounte Murray and Myles Turner this season and pair them with Julius Randle and Co, I think it would turn the tides a bit.
If Leon Rose were to want to go all-in on a trade for Turner and another for a Star like Damian Lillard or De’Aaron Fox, we could be talking about a Knicks team competing for the Eastern Conference title this year.