The Brooklyn Nets have been red-hot.
They have only two true scoring threats in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and other than Nic Caxton, they do not have a true center in their regular rotation who gets any meaningful playing time.
For all the talk about the NBA getting smaller and faster in recent years, it is still by and large a big man’s game and defense is still the key to winning championships.
Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers has been rumored to be on the trade market, and if the Nets could trade for him, he could perhaps be the missing piece they need.
Perhaps the Nets could send the Pacers Joe Harris, Cam Thomas and some type of draft compensation to land Turner.
Turner, who is 6-foot-11 and weighs 250 pounds, is an elite shot-blocker who is averaging 2.1 rejections, as well as 7.9 rebounds a game this season.
He is the type of player who not only blocks and changes shots but also dissuades opposing players from penetrating and attacking the rim.
But Turner is much more than just a stellar defensive big man, as he also makes an impact on the offensive end.
In that department, he is having a career season by putting up 16.8 points a game on 55.2 percent overall shooting and 40.2 percent from 3-point range, all of which are career-highs.
He could take some pressure off Durant and Irving not only by stretching the floor but by also giving the Nets another man they can look to at times when the game slows down.
The risk for them is that Turner will be a free agent this offseason, and he is rumored to be looking for a lucrative extension.
But if they were to make this trade and he was to work out well, one would have to think that, as long as they could afford it, they would pay him to remain with the team.
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