Knicks should no longer be interested in Myles Turner trade
The next couple few weeks are going to be a whirlwind for the New York Knicks. From the 2022 NBA Draft to free agency, New York’s front office is going to be busy.
Besides trading for Cam Reddish at the end of January, the Knicks didn’t make any major trades ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline. But there were rumors that New York had inquired about a few players, and one of those players was Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers made a major move themselves when they sent Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings. And here we are a few months later, and Indiana is once again engaged in trade talks around Turner leading up to the draft. And although the Knicks showed interest back in February, the front office shouldn’t pursue a trade for the 26-year-old center.
The Knicks shouldn’t pursue a trade for Pacers center Myles Turner
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported that teams are “monitoring the Indiana Pacers’ potential to jettison veteran talent.” And New York is reportedly interested in point guard Malcolm Brogdon if things go south with Jalen Brunson in free agency, and that makes sense. But trying to acquire Turner no longer makes sense, even if Mitchell Robinson doesn’t sign an extension.
The Knicks have been linked to a few guards so far, with the two biggest names being Donovan Mitchell and Brunson. If the front office is going to go all in and trade for a player, it shouldn’t be a center.
New York’s been linked to Memphis’ Jalen Duren at No. 11 in the draft and Arizona’s Christian Koloko at No. 42. There’s also Jericho Sims, who was the No. 58 pick in 2021. If there’s a void left behind by Robinson’s departure, the Knicks have better avenues to go down to try to replace him rather than going after Turner.
This isn’t to say that Turner’s talent isn’t worth trading for, but it wouldn’t be a smart move for New York.
His health is also a concern. Over the past two seasons, Turner’s played in a combined 89 games. His season ended early in 2020-21 due to a toe injury. This past January, he suffered a stress reaction in his left foot and missed the remainder of the year. Needless to say, the Knicks need to stay away.
Turner has a $17.5 million expiring contract and two Eastern Conference teams have continued to show interest in him. According to Fischer, the Charlotte Hornets have a “willingness” to move their No. 15 pick in the draft to land Turner. The Toronto Raptors are another team to watch. Out of the two, it’d be better for New York if Turner went to Charlotte.
As for now, Knicks fans are still on Robinson watch. He and New York have 15 days left to agree to an extension..
