Pacers Trying to Trade for Big Man From West Contender to Replace Myles Turner

The Indiana Pacers are in need of a new starting center after Myles Turner left for the Milwaukee Bucks. After Indiana reportedly low-balled him with an offer, he decided to head to the Bucks.

Now, the Pacers are in a tricky spot. They have to find a new starting center when a lot of the centers have already moved to new teams or signed deals with their current teams.

With options on the free-agent market shrinking, the Pacers now have to look at possible trade options this summer. They are reportedly interested in one Western Conference center.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Pacers are looking into the possibility of trading for Nick Richards. Richards is in Phoenix, and they just traded for Mark Williams and drafted Khaman Maluach.

That doesn't leave Richards any spot in the Suns' rotation, so other teams are starting to sniff around and inquire about his availability. Apparently, the Pacers are one of those teams.

This would be an unsatisfying replacement for Turner if this is the avenue that they pursue. If he is now the third-string center in Phoenix, why would he be good enough to start for a team that just made the Finals?

Richards is a good lob catcher and a good rebounder. Those are two skills that the Pacers would look to exploit when Tyrese Haliburton returns from his torn Achilles.

Richards does not shoot threes, which is an obvious skill that Turner had that made the Pacers dangerous. Part of why they were so good this season is that all five starters were dangerous from beyond the arc.

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Indiana is also looking at other options, but there aren't that many options out there left. Unless they are going to change how they play offensively, there aren't many stretch-fives available.

Deandre Ayton showed a willingness in Phoenix to try to shoot more threes at one point, but he is one of the few centers left on the free-agent market that does that.

Last season with the Hornets and the Suns, Richards averaged 9.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.

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