PACERS SEND:
C Myles Turner,
PG Malcolm Brogdon,
A combination of up to 4 first round picks between 2022-2026
JAZZ SEND:
SG Donovan Mitchell,
SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker
(Edit: This piece was published prior to Malcolm Brogdon being traded to the Boston Celtics for a future first round pick.)
The Pacers could – not that they should or will – send as many as 4 first round picks over the next 5 seasons, including first rounders in each the next three drafts (thanks to their acquisition of Cleveland’s 2023 first round pick). That, coupled with potential trade chips in Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon, make this offer more than viable to the Jazz.
Myles Turner has been waved around in trade conversations for years. One would think the Pacers don’t particularly like him very much. However, the 26-year-old big man could thrive in the right system. He has experience in a “twin-tower” lineup – thanks to his time playing alongside Domantas Sabonis – and has grown his offensive game to include a fairly reliable 3-point shot. He’s also one of the better rim-protecting bigs in the league. The defensive mindset along with his perimeter-friendly offense could develop into a very good pairing alongside Gobert.
Malcolm Brogdon, who’s primarily used as salary filler in this deal, has had a very respectable career in his own right; he is no throw-in. Brogdon would certainly be in a position to have success scoring and distributing in a lineup featuring the twin towers of Gobert and Turner along with 3-point shooters.
The Pacers could be a dark horse that sneaks in and snags Mitchell. If the Pacers offer matches the number of draft picks offered up by the Thunder or Pelicans, I would expect Utah to prefer dealing with Indiana considering the value of the other pieces involved.
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN:
Similar to McCollum, Brogdon (29 years old) may already be older than the Jazz would prefer as they hit the reset button. Also, while it makes logical sense that Turner would be a solid fit with the team that employs Gobert, the Jazz could see it as a duplicative skillset.
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