The Los Angeles Lakers’ recent bid to sign Luka Doncic, an excellent lob threat and rim runner, fell through, but the franchise will undoubtedly make it a major priority come summer 2025.
L.A. cancelled a trade with the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams on Saturday, February 8, after Williams failed a physical.
“Teams do not like to cancel trades, especially those as significant as the Lakers-Charlotte trade for Mark Williams-Dalton Knecht,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne wrote. “But Los Angeles gave up a lot to get Williams; they needed to be confident that he’d be healthy enough to be their starting center for the next 5-10 years.” They were not after a ‘thorough’ review of his health.
On Sunday, Evan Sidery of Forbes linked the Lakers to two big guys they will be eligible to pursue starting June 30, when the NBA’s free agency period reopens and teams can trade.
“Two names continue to be mentioned in league circles as potential Lakers center trade targets this summer: Myles Turner and Nic Claxton,” Sidery said. “If they make an overwhelming offer to the [Indiana] Pacers, they can obtain Turner through sign-and-trade. The [Brooklyn] Nets have been considering relocating Claxton for months.”
Like Claxton this season, Turner has been a popular name in prospective trade talks for years, extending back to when he played alongside Damontas Sabonis.
Turner, Indiana’s key big man in its current form, managed to dodge another trade deadline last week. That is owed, at least in part, to the Pacers’ recent performance, which has improved their record to 29-22 and moved them into the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference as the All-Star break approaches.
Circumstances assisted the Pacers to some extent last year, particularly a series of injuries to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs, but the Pacers still advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics.
Myles Turner is a solid fit for the Lakers, working with Luka Doncic on offense and defense.
Another long playoff run might keep Turner in Indianapolis for the foreseeable future.
Turner, who is about to turn 29, is in the final season of a two-year contract worth $40.9 million and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this July. A sign-and-trade would allow the Pacers to receive something in exchange for Turner, rather than watching him walk away for free, which is an option.
Turner would not only provide Doncic with a credible lob threat, which he had long desired with the Dallas Mavericks and had stated to the Lakers when he arrived in Los Angeles. Doncic will be a free agent in a year and a half, and Los Angeles must concern itself with building a team around him that will entice the five-time First-Team All-NBA player to remain with the franchise long-term.Aside from his offensive brilliance near the rim and ability to extend the floor with his jump jumper, Turner has consistently been one of the league’s greatest defensive rim protectors. He has twice led the NBA in blocked shots (2018-19 and 2020-21), averaging 2.2 per game across his ten-year career.
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