Hawks reportedly interested in Pacers center Myles Turner

The Hawks have an interesting offseason ahead of them, with no shortage of avenues for them to explore. Believing the young core can develop into a championship team alone is a gamble. Just think back to the core of Trae Young, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, and Kevin Huerter. However, mortgaging their franchise’s future and playoff window for a superstar is also an equally dangerous wager.

One thing the Hawks must accomplish is finding a big that can stretch the floor, and one is playing in the Finals right now. The Hawks, according to Grant Afseth, are interested in pursuing Pacers big man Myles Turner.

“Atlanta is also monitoring Turner’s situation closely,” Afseth writes. “The Hawks already feature Dyson Daniels in the backcourt, and Turner’s rim protection would allow Daniels to be even more aggressive in the passing lanes and at the point of attack. Atlanta finished in the bottom half of the league in both offense and defense last season, and improved spacing remains a priority — particularly with Jalen Johnson returning from a season-ending injury after a breakout campaign. If Zaccharie Risacher takes a second-year leap and further depth is added, Turner’s presence could help stabilize and elevate a Hawks team seeking to reestablish itself as a playoff contender.”

Turner appeared in 72 regular-season games, averaging 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 0.8 steals, while shooting 48.1% from the field and over 39% from beyond the arc. Depending on the kind of contract he’ll demand, I could be open to the idea of adding Turner, but he’s going to garner a large deal, and that’s a big reason why the Hawks should avoid him.

Onyeka Okongwu is a comparable player and will likely cost a fraction of what Myles Turner will garner on the open market. The one area where Okongwu isn’t comparable is three-point shooting, even if he did show some improvement in that area this season.

The Hawks need everyone on the floor to be able to knock down a three with Trae Young and Jalen Johnson on the floor to maximize their playmaking ability. While OO is making strides from beyond the arc, he’s not close to as reliable of a three-point shooter as Turner. Still, a stretch 5 isn’t as difficult to find as it used to be, and it’s certainly not as expensive as Turner will cost.