Myles Turner mock trade: Hornets finally land Pacers star in sign-and-trade

For years, Myles Turner has been in trade rumors, and the Indiana Pacers center has constantly been linked to the Charlotte Hornets. He was long seen as the missing piece to the puzzle before Mark Williams arrived, giving Charlotte the center it had searched for for so long.

Now that Williams is here, Turner hasn't been as glaring of a need, but he does things Williams does not. For one, he spaces the floor really well for Tyrese Haliburton, and he would do the same for LaMelo Ball.

Williams was an atrocious defender last year (118.9 defensive rating, worst among players with 17 games or more played), whereas Turner was significantly better down low (111.5). Turner was also better offensively by a fairly wide margin in offensive rating.

It's hard to pin down Williams' value after the Los Angeles Lakers failed trade, but he could easily be part of a package for the veteran center. If he fetched a future first-round pick, a pick swap, and a rookie, then it's absolutely feasible to think he could fetch a first-round pick and a veteran player.

In this mock trade, the Hornets send Josh Green, Mark Williams, and three second-round picks (Golden State's 2026, New Orleans' 2027, and Denver's 2031) for Turner and this year's first-round pick.

The reason Charlotte gets Indiana's current first-round pick is that it's a known quantity. They're picking near the end of the first round because they made the playoffs as a decent seed, so they know it won't be too valuable. The Hornets could probably package 33 and 34 this year to move up somewhere into the 20s, so it's not unrealistic.

Indiana gets a young, promising center who is significantly cheaper. They also get a decent three-and-D wing who could be a key bench player for a playoff team. The Pacers also get something back for a pending free agent, since they'd have to sign and trade Turner. Charlotte also moves off the Green experiment, which hasn't gone very well.

The Pacers get slightly worse but cheaper and add some useful draft picks they can use to trade for players later on. This is a borderline NBA Finals team, so the financial flexibility would be good, and tradable picks are always helpful for contenders.

The Hornets get better but more expensive. However, given the potentially strenuous relationship with Williams after the Lakers saga, this might not only be a good move but a smart one.

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