The New York Knicks will be speculatively connected to various players this off-season, ranging from stars like Damian Lillard to lesser-known names like Kendrick Nunn. Whether or not the Knicks actually capitalize on any of these links is yet to be seen.
While Vegas has the Knicks as the top favorites to land Lillard, other players are also finding themselves in the mix, and the latest is big man Myles Turner from Indiana.
According to Real GM:
The Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have expressed interest in Turner for a significant amount of time. The Minnesota Timberwolves also have strong interest in Turner.
Turner is an intriguing player, and if the Knicks let Nerelens Noel and Taj Gibson walk this off-season, they can save approximately $7.2 million (their 2020-21 earnings combined) and roll it over to a more productive singular player. Turner offers plenty as a solid rebounder and scorer in the pain, and at 24 years old, he has his best days ahead of him.
For a big man, averaging 6.5 rebounds might not stand out, but there is room for improvement, and he had a career-high 3.4 blocks per game this past season over 47 contests. For comparison sake, Noel, who regularly curated blocks throughout the 2020–21 campaign, average just 2.2 per game.
Turner is a stout defensive player, and averaging 12.6 points as a center isn’t too shabby either. However, Turner is currently on a four-year contract, heading into the third season of his deal in 2022. He finds himself in a similar situation to Damian Lillard, who would have to be traded to part ways with his current team. As a former first-round pick in 2015, Turner clearly offers stout defensive play and scoring prowess at 6’11”, the same size as Noel.
The Knicks would have to part ways with players and draft capital to land Turner. There is no possible way they can acquire both Lillard and Turner via trade, so they will have to settle at some point, given a scenario presents themselves. Of course, this is all speculation, and Indiana would have to consider a trade to even make this possible.
Luckily for the Knicks, the Pacers are looking to settle an interesting conundrum they found themselves in, choosing between Myles Turner and Domantes Sabonis. Both play a similar position so parting ways with one of them, likely Turner, makes the most sense. The Knicks actually represent a solid trade partner given their draft capital and a few solid young pieces they could move in a prospective deal.
What do you think about the idea of trading for miles Turner? Let me know in the comments below!