https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/nba-logos/okc.png

Thunder

In the aftermath of the Los Angeles Lakers' 123-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James addressed the media regarding the Warriors' recent addition of Jimmy Butler.&nbsp;
The game saw Stephen Curry leading the Warriors with 37 points, while James contributed 33 points for the Lakers. Despite a strong second-half effort, the Lakers were unable to overcome a 13-point halftime deficit. ​
James drew parallels between this move and Golden State's acquisition of Kevin Durant in 2016, noting the franchise's consistent strategy of enhancing their roster with high-caliber talent.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I've had to go against them when they added Kevin Durant,&rdquo; James said &ldquo;It's always the same, they always figure it out, and they always add someone who makes them dynamic.&rdquo;
Jimmy Butler's integration into the Warriors has been seamless, with the team achieving a 20-5 record since his arrival. Butler has been stellar for the Warriors, providing another scoring punch while being a Swiss army knife on both ends of the floor, which is vital to their actions. Butler has also complemented Curry's performance and has been contributing significantly to the team's success.
The Warriors' acquisition of Butler involved a trade that sent Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, Dennis Schr&ouml;der, Lindy Waters III, and a protected first-round pick to the Miami Heat, and this strategic move has bolstered Golden State's playoff chances in the tough Western Conference.

LeBron James addressed the media regarding the Warriors' recent addition of Jimmy Butler.

LeBron James reflects on Warriors’ acquisition of Jimmy Butler following Lakers' defeat

The Golden State Warriors have acquired All-Star forward Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat as part of a complex four-team trade, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Shams Charania.
After a seemingly endless back and forth with Heat president Pat Riley, Butler finally gets moved to the Bay Area. Following the trade, Butler agreed to a two-year, $121 million contract extension, securing his tenure with the Warriors through the 2026-27 NBA season.&nbsp;
The two-month long saga between Jimmy Butler and the Heat will now end up in a trade to Golden State, one of his four initial preferred destinations -- and a new extension.
Trade Details:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Golden State Warriors Receive:</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Jimmy Butler (from Miami Heat)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Miami Heat Receive:</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Andrew Wiggins (from Golden State Warriors)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Kyle Anderson (from Golden State Warriors)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">P.J. Tucker (from Utah Jazz)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">2025 Protected first-round draft pick (from Golden State Warriors)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Detroit Pistons Receive:</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Lindy Waters III (from Golden State Warriors)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Josh Richardson (from Miami Heat)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Utah Jazz Receive:</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">Dennis Schr&ouml;der (from Golden State Warriors)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
ANALYSIS: This trade for Butler aims to bolster Golden State's championship aspirations and bring help alongside Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. Butler, 35, has averaged 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game this season when healthy playing for the Heat.
This multi-team trade marks a significant moment for the Warriors as they made a decisive move to strengthen their lineup to gun for a playoff spot in the tough Western Conference. Curry finally gets the &ldquo;secondary star&rdquo; people have been clamoring for months, and it will be interesting to see how Butler fits with Golden State&rsquo;s offensive schemes.
The Miami Heat will acquire forward Andrew Wiggins, who has contributed 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game this season, along with Kyle Anderson, PJ Tucker, and a future protected first-round pick, signaling a strategic shift towards building around younger talent. Wiggins will join the promising core of newly-minted all-star Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kel&rsquo;el Ware.
The Detroit Pistons also gain valuable assets in Lindy Waters III and Josh Richardson, two 3-and-D guys that can play alongside their star Cade Cunningham while the Utah Jazz get a vet in Dennis Schroder that could possibly be moved again for more draft compensation.

The Golden State Warriors have acquired All-Star forward Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat as part of a complex four-team trade.

Jimmy Butler lands with Warriors in massive four-team trade

PHOENIX (AP) &mdash; Devin Booker scored 44 points, Terrence Ross added 24 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 132-101 on Wednesday night after losing Kevin Durant to an ankle injury during pregame warmups.
Phoenix has won four straight games, but that was almost an afterthought following Durant&rsquo;s injury.
The game was supposed to be the home debut with his new team. A 13-time All-Star, Durant was added in a blockbuster trade deadline deal with Brooklyn and the Footprint Center was buzzing in anticipation.
But he&nbsp;rolled his left ankle while driving to the basket&nbsp;as he prepared to play. The 6-foot-10 forward immediately hopped up and was walking, but several minutes later, the Suns confirmed that he would miss the game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kevin Durant has been ruled out for tonight's Suns-Thunder game after he slipped during pregame warm-ups. Tonight would've been Durant's first home game as a member of the Suns. Here's the video: <a href="https://t.co/ecYwlq0uQe">pic.twitter.com/ecYwlq0uQe</a>
&mdash; Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA/status/1633646088904220674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

With Durant out, Suns fans had to settle for a scoring show by Booker, who had 30 points during the first half.
The three-time All-Star shot 17 of 23 &mdash; making 6 of 10 3-pointers &mdash; from the field and received a standing ovation in the fourth quarter when he checked out of the game for the last time.
Ross also was 6 of 10 from 3-point range. Chris Paul has 18 points and nine assists. He made 4 of 5 3-pointers.
Oklahoma City played without All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander because of &ldquo;abdominal strain injury management.&rdquo; The Thunder were overmatched without him and the Suns pulled away in the second half.
Lindy Waters III led the Thunder with 23 points.
Durant has played three games with the Suns &mdash; all on the road and all wins &mdash; but this was supposed to be his first game at home in front of a sold out crowd. He averaged 26.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in the three games.
His next chance to play at home will be Saturday against the Kings.
Phoenix added Durant and T.J. Warren at the trade deadline, sending Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and other draft compensation to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Suns pushed to a 34-21 lead after one quarter and had a 60-52 advantage at halftime. Booker shot 11 of 15 from the field in the first half while Waters had scored 21 for the Thunder.
TIP-INS
Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander was one of five players out with injuries. ... Josh Giddey shot just 3 of 12 from the field and finished with 10 points.
Suns: G Landry Shamet (right foot soreness) was not available. ... Hosted a 58th consecutive sellout crowd. ... Chris Paul added 18 points and nine assists. ... Booker&rsquo;s six 3-pointers tied his career-high in the regular season. He&rsquo;s hit that mark 21 times.
UP NEXT
Thunder: Travel to face the Pelicans on Saturday.
Suns: Host the Kings on Saturday.

Devin Booker scored 44 points, Terrence Ross added 24 and the Suns beat the Thunder 132-101 on Wednesday night.

Booker, Ross help Suns rout Thunder after Durant injured

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; Harrison Barnes scored 29 points and the Sacramento Kings beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 123-117 on Tuesday night for their fourth consecutive victory.
Domantas Sabonis had 22 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and Kevin Huerter added 20 points for the Kings. They also beat the Thunder on Sunday night.
Thunder rookie Jalen Williams matched a season high with 27 points. Dario Saric, a reserve forward/center the Thunder acquired in a trade with Phoenix before the All-Star break, had a season-high 21 points. But Oklahoma City shot just 43.9% in its fourth straight loss.
The scoring leaders for both teams did not play. Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was out due to health and safety protocols and an abdominal strain and Sacramento&rsquo;s De&rsquo;Aaron Fox missed with soreness in his left wrist.
There still was plenty of action. Sacramento led 71-66 at halftime behind 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists from Sabonis.
The Kings went on a 13-0 run in the third quarter to go up 89-72, but the Thunder rallied and trailed 93-87 heading into the fourth.
Oklahoma City tied it at 98 before Sacramento responded with a 12-2 run, and the Kings controlled the rest of the game.
TIP-INS
Kings: F Trey Lyles was called for a technical foul in the second quarter. ... Barnes scored just nine points on Sunday. ... F Keegan Murray finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Thunder: G Isaiah Joe, who scored 28 and 24 points in his previous two games, had eight points on 3-for-5 shooting. ... Signed G Lindy Waters III to a multi-year contract on Monday. The former Oklahoma State star had signed a Two-Way contract last year.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday niht.
Thunder: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.

Harrison Barnes scored 29 points and the Kings beat the Thunder 123-117 on Tuesday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

Barnes scores 29 points, Kings beat Thunder for 4th straight

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) &mdash; De&rsquo;Aaron Fox had 33 points and eight assists and the Sacramento Kings defeated the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 124-115 on Sunday night.
Keegan Murray scored 20 points and Domantas Sabonis added 14 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Kings, who won their third straight.
Sacramento&nbsp;defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in two overtimes&nbsp;Friday night in the second highest-scoring game in NBA history. The Kings followed it by shooting 52.9% from the field against the Thunder.
Isaiah Joe scored 24 points and Lu Dort and Josh Giddey each added 18 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder have lost all three of their games since the All-Star break.
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out with right ankle soreness and an abdominal strain. The All-Star leads the Thunder with 31 points per game &mdash; fifth-most in the league heading into the night.
Fox scored 14 points in the first half to help the Kings take a 58-50 lead. He got loose for a windmill dunk on a fast break to give the Kings a 74-59 lead in the third quarter.
The Thunder got hot later in the period. Joe scored 11 points in the final 3:50 of the third quarter to trim Sacramento&rsquo;s lead to 94-90 heading into the fourth.
The Kings threatened to run away with the game before Joe made a 3-pointer, was fouled and made the free throw with 5:19 remaining to trim Sacramento&rsquo;s lead to 113-104, but the Thunder never made another surge.
TIP-INS
Kings: Sabonis, who was drafted by Orlando in 2016 and traded to Oklahoma City that same night, had nine points, five rebounds and five assists in the first quarter to help Sacramento take a 36-26 lead. ... Trey Lyles scored 16 points.
Thunder: Joe got the start in place of Gilgeous-Alexander. ... Jalen Williams scored 15 points and Lindy Waters III added 12.
UP NEXT
The teams play again Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

De’Aaron Fox had 33 points and 8 assists and the Sacramento Kings beat the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 124-115 on Sunday

De'Aaron Fox scores 33 as Kings beat Thunder for 3rd straight win

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Bam Adebayo scored 17 points and undrafted rookie Jamal Cain added 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Miami Heat defeated the Brooklyn Nets 109-80 on Thursday night.
Kevin Durant led Brooklyn with 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting in 26 minutes. Ben Simmons had four points and 10 rebounds for the Nets.
Miami star Jimmy Butler played for the first time in the preseason, scoring two points in the first half and then sitting in the second half. Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo didn&rsquo;t play for the Heat.
The Nets were minus Joe Harris, who was resting an ankle that left him out most of last season, and Kyrie Irving, who had the night off after the birth of his child. Seven Heat players scored in double figures.
Kyle Lowry had 15 points and Dru Smith, Duncan Robinson and Jamaree Bouyea each added 12 for Miami. Cain signed with the Heat in July after playing for Marquette and Oakland University.
Cam Thomas scored 13 points and Markieff Morris 10 for the Nets.
Through the first half, the teams tried various combinations, mixing the starters with some key bench players. Both sides seemed to stretch their stars for some extra minutes in the shortened NBA preseason.
Durant played 19 minutes in the first half and scored 18 points, making six of seven shots. Simmons and backcourt mate Royce O&rsquo;Neale each played 18 minutes.
MAGIC 102, SPURS 99
Paolo Banchero, the overall No. 1 pick in the June draft, had nine points and five rebounds as Orlando beat San Antonio.
Wendell Carter Jr. had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic. He shot 8 of 13 as most of the Orlando starters played between 20 and 23 minutes. Franz Wagner had 12 points and Moritz Wagner scored 10.
Doug McDermott led the Spurs with 14 points, and Keita Bates-Diop added 12.. Devin Vassell and Tre Jones scored 11 points each.
THUNDER 131, ADELAIDE 36ERs 98
Tre Mann scored 26 points, including hitting 8 of 10 on 3s, as Oklahoma City beat a team from the Australian National Basketball League.
Lindy Waters III scored 23 points and Eugene Omoruyi added 19 points for the Thunder.
Craig Randall II, who had 35 points in the 36ers' 134-124 win over the Phoenix Suns earlier in the week, led Adelaide with 27 points. Robert Franks scored 20 points and Antonius Cleveland had 19 points.
Adelaide used torrid 3-point shooting, hitting 56% from beyond the arc, to defeat the Suns in the opening game of their preseason tour. But the accuracy was not the same against Oklahoma City as the 36ers went 11 of 36 from distance.

Bam Adebayo scored 17 points and undrafted rookie Jamal Cain added 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Heat beat the Nets 109-80.

Adebayo, Cain lead Heat over Durant, Simmons and Nets

Josh Giddey had 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, No. 2 selection Chet Holmgren added 11 points and 12 rebounds and Oklahoma City beat Memphis 87-71 on Wednesday night for the Thunder&rsquo;s second straight victory in the Salt Lake City Summer League.
Giddey, the No. 6 pick in the 2021 draft, secured his triple-double on a feed to Lindy Waters III for a 3-pointer with 1:20 remaining in the fourth quarter. Holmgren was 3 of 4 from the field in the first half and scored 11 points but he struggled after halftime, missing seven straight shots.
Oklahoma City opened the second half on a 10-3 run for a 58-46 lead and later scored 10 straight to make it 68-52. Memphis missed 14 straight shots in the second half.
Jalen Williams, the No. 12 selection out of Santa Clara, made three 3-pointers and scored 16 points for Oklahoma City. Holmgren, who set a Salt Lake City Summer League record with six blocks on Tuesday, blocked his first shot with 4:12 remaining in the third quarter.
Kenny Lofton Jr. scored seven of Memphis&rsquo; opening 10 points and finished with 19.
Memphis star Ja Morant sat courtside for the second straight game.
76ERS 86, JAZZ 82
Charles Bassey had 17 points, Trevelin Queen added 15 points &mdash; including an acrobatic alley-oop layup in the closing seconds &mdash; and Philadelphia beat Utah.&nbsp;
Bassey, a second-round pick out of Western Kentucky in 2021, was 7 of 12 from the field, grabbed nine rebounds and had four of Philadelphia&rsquo;s 17 steals.
Myles Powell added 13 points, Charlie Brown Jr. had 12 and Cassius Winston 11. Julian Champagnie scored just five points on 2-of-11 shooting, including 0 for 6 from 3-point range, but grabbed 10 rebounds.
Bruno Caboclo converted a three-point play and then a putback off a missed layup by James Palmer Jr. to spark a 15-4 run that gave the Jazz an 80-78 lead when Justin Robinson hit a pull-up jumper with 2:54 to play. Queen made two free throws and Winston made 3 of 4 from the foul line before Winston whipped a pass from near midcourt to a cutting Queen for a layup that hung on the front of the rim before dropping in to make it 85-80 with 34.2 seconds to go.
Robinson led the Jazz with 17 points, Caboclo scored 16 and Palmer added 14.
Utah, which went 0 for 9 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter, missed its last five field-goal attempts and committed two of its 22 turnovers in the last 2-plus minutes.&nbsp;

Oklahoma City beat Memphis 87-71 on Wednesday for the Thunder’s second straight victory in the Salt Lake City Summer League.

Josh Giddey has triple-double, leads Thunder to second straight win

The Indiana Pacers are finally embracing a rebuild. After years of toiling around in mediocrity, the Pacers realized their slow start and league-low attendance weren't going to turn around anytime soon. According to The Athletic&rsquo;s Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz, Indiana is open to trading the following players before February&rsquo;s deadline: Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner.
We already covered <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/examining-potential-trade-destinations-for-caris-levert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five potential destinations for LeVert</a>, who quickly became expendable with Chris Duarte emerging as a long-term building block. Nekias Duncan has some <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/exploring-trade-destinations-for-domantas-sabonis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trade ideas cooking on Sabonis</a> as well. So now, to round things out, it&rsquo;s time to reveal the best win-win deals involving Turner.&nbsp;
Unlike Sabonis, who some teams may need to reinvent their entire system around, Turner is the ideal complementary piece for any contender looking to take a leap forward &mdash; this season and beyond. As a modern center who can stretch the floor and block shots at an elite level, many teams will be calling Indiana to inquire about a potential deal.
So, which teams actually make sense for Turner? Let&rsquo;s reveal our six best destinations:
Charlotte Hornets
I already mentioned Turner to the Hornets as a perfect fit for both player and team last week when discussing <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/five-potential-trades-that-make-way-too-much-sense-leading-up-to-februarys-deadline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five potentially playoff-altering trades before the deadline</a>. Charlotte is so close to taking a massive step forward in the Eastern Conference. All the Hornets need is an adequate rim-protector to help them from leaking too many points to opponents on a nightly basis. Acquiring Turner not only solves that issue, it also raises the ceiling for young superstar point guard LaMelo Ball as well.
Imagining Turner catching lobs from LaMelo and spacing the floor is so much fun, in addition to what he would provide defensively. Charlotte&rsquo;s potential core of Ball, Miles Bridges, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward and Turner would be a well-put-together starting lineup. The Hornets could still have James Bouknight and Kai Jones developing off their bench as long-term lottery tickets too.
With Turner expected to fetch a nice return for Indiana, what actually makes sense in terms of an offer? There are two different scenarios to parse through:
Option 1: Kelly Oubre Jr., PJ Washington and a protected future first-round pick
Option 2: Gordon Hayward and a protected future first-round pick
The only reason why Hayward is included here is because we already know Indiana was seriously pursuing the former Indianapolis native during the 2020 offseason. When the Pacers offered Turner for Hayward in the past, former Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge didn't budge. Hayward instead bolted to Charlotte, receiving a big bag of cash in the process.
Would Indiana be open to revisiting a similar package 18 months later?
Pacers owner Herb Simon has been reluctant to dip his toes into any luxury-tax payments, so we know that&rsquo;s not happening as sellers. So, how about this Hayward-centric return to try out a &ldquo;soft rebuild&rdquo; or retool?
Pacers receive: Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington, JT Thor, protected first-round pick
Hornets receive: Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday
Hayward would slide in as the 4 next to TJ Warren on the wing, forming an interesting duo. Washington&rsquo;s role in Charlotte isn&rsquo;t growing anytime soon, so giving the former lottery pick a bigger opportunity in Indiana makes sense as well. And from a pure fan perspective of putting butts in the seats, Brownsburg, Indiana native and former Butler Bulldog Gordon Hayward absolutely does that.
From Charlotte&rsquo;s perspective, it&rsquo;s a massive win. Acquiring Turner raises the team's immediate and long-term ceiling, with Lamb and Holiday bolstering that bench.
I doubt Indiana would be interested in Oubre, so let&rsquo;s roll with the options revolving around Hayward. What do you think of this big move for both sides?
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
New Orleans Pelicans
As I mentioned yesterday with LeVert, keep an eye on New Orleans as the most desperate team in the NBA. Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin knows the hourglass could soon be running out on his tenure, plus Zion Williamson&rsquo;s injury history continues to pile on.
How about acquiring Turner as an ideal buffer between Brandon Ingram and Zion? It makes a lot of sense to help out a team that's in desperate need of a consistent defensive identity.
Turner is an absolutely perfect third piece to the puzzle in New Orleans, and hopefully a healthy and dominant version of Williamson reappears as well.
However, for a valuable piece like Turner, what would the Pelicans need to send back the Pacers&rsquo; way? Hint: it&rsquo;s going to be a lot.
Here&rsquo;s what I cooked up for a potential Pacers-Pelicans blockbuster revolving around Turner:
Pacers receive: Josh Hart, Kira Lewis Jr., Jaxson Hayes, two future first-round picks (via Lakers and Bucks)
Pelicans receive: Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, Brad Wanamaker
Indiana acquires two young assets in Lewis and Hayes, plus another player yet to hit his prime with Hart. The two first-round picks from the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are the icing on top of the cake from the Pelicans.
Yes, the Pelicans have Jonas Valanciunas and he&rsquo;s playing at an awesome level right now, but you have to begin thinking about accelerating the rebuild. New Orleans could play Turner and Valanciunas together at some points if necessary, but they could reroute the 29-year-old Valanciunas with his value at an all-time high.
With all three players age-25 or under, a trio of Williamson, Ingram and Turner is something to invest real assets into before it&rsquo;s too late.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15625217_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" />
Golden State Warriors
Could you imagine Turner in the same role Kevon Looney is filling right now for Golden State? The Warriors&rsquo; defense would be incredible, and completely unfair. Turner and Draymond Green would make up a terrifying frontcourt duo, plus the former&rsquo;s floor-spacing is an ideal fit in Golden State&rsquo;s offense.
From Indiana&rsquo;s point of view, though, what makes sense in return for Turner? If I&rsquo;m in Pacers president Kevin Pritchard&rsquo;s shoes, I&rsquo;m holding out for Jonathan Kuminga in any Turner deal with Golden State. If push comes to shove with the Warriors refusing to include Kuminga, the following may make sense for both sides:
Pacers receive: James Wiseman, Moses Moody, Damion Lee, future protected first-round pick
Warriors receive: Myles Turner, Kelan Martin
Indiana would acquire two young prospects in Wiseman and Moody to add alongside Duarte and fellow first-round pick Isaiah Jackson. Golden State would probably become the true NBA Finals favorite bringing aboard Turner, plus a sharpshooting wing who can provide spot minutes in Martin.
The Warriors have the assets to make a title push even more likely. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they have already called Indiana about Turner or Sabonis, because either one makes this team even more of a juggernaut in the Western Conference.
Chicago Bulls
This one is interesting, especially when you consider it would be Pacers 2.0 all over again with an offense-first big alongside Turner in Nikola Vucevic. However, Vucevic's contract expires after this season. If the Bulls retooled a little bit and moved Vucevic this summer, could you imagine the spacing and defensive versatility a frontcourt duo of Turner and Patrick Williams would provide? That sounds like a massive upgrade to me, allowing the ball to be in the hands of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan even more.
Indiana would of course ask for Williams if the team were to trade Turner within its own division, but that would be a swift, "No." Instead, what about this compelling offer with a young prospect, salary filler and multiple first-round picks going back to Indiana?
Pacers receive: Coby White, Derrick Jones Jr., 2022 first-round pick via Portland, 2026 heavily protected first-round pick
Bulls receive: Myles Turner
Assuming Turner coming aboard would put into motion a long-term vision of him and Williams sharing a frontcourt (the more I talk about it, the more I love this idea), Chicago could offload Vucevic this offseason to recoup some sort of draft capital lost here.
LaVine and DeRozan being insulated defensively by the likes of Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Turner and Williams is a dream scenario for Chicago. This would make the Bulls a terrifying team in the East for years to come.
Meanwhile, Indiana could be the ideal reset for a former lottery pick in White, who wasn&rsquo;t selected by the Bulls&rsquo; current front office regime.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Milwaukee Bucks
Another Central Division team knocking down the door of Indiana? Again, this one seems far-fetched, but the possibilities are endless here. Imagining a modern big like Turner alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo brings forth mouth-watering possibilities for the Bucks.
However, with little draft capital, would Indiana even be interested in a package revolving around Brook Lopez&rsquo;s contract and Donte DiVincenzo? Maybe with a future pick or two thrown in, it could entice a conversation with Indiana.
Don&rsquo;t forget, there&rsquo;s already trade history between these two divisional teams. When the Pacers pulled off a sign-and-trade for Malcolm Brogdon, it was structured to be a win-win deal for both sides.
Could history repeat itself with Turner joining the Bucks this time around?
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_17027168_lg.jpg" alt="" width="651" height="435" />
Plopping Turner within the Bucks&rsquo; core is a game-changing move for them. Immediately, Milwaukee would stake its claim as the top team in the East in 2021-22 and beyond. Turner&rsquo;s shooting and rim-protection would essentially give Milwaukee a younger version of Lopez.&nbsp;
I would say this move is doubtful, but don&rsquo;t be surprised if Milwaukee calls about Turner to try to go all-in as they look to repeat.&nbsp;
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland needs to do something soon. Damian Lillard is obviously frustrated with the direction of the team, so what&rsquo;s going to happen with the Trail Blazers&rsquo; roster? As a team with little to no defensive integrity, currently and historically, inserting Turner would be a massive win for Portland.
Turner would become an immediate upgrade over Jusuf Nurkic, who would be sent back to Indiana as salary filler in this scenario. On top of Nurkic, the Blazers would attach promising combo guard Anfernee Simons.
Although Portland loves what it has seen from Simons and Nassir Little in terms of player development, these types of moves have to occur in order to raise the ceiling and floor of the team's current roster.
From Indiana&rsquo;s perspective, this deal is very interesting. The Pacers&rsquo; primary prize here would be Simons alongside a future first-round pick. (Nurkic may even be flipped again or bought out since a rebuilding team has no need for a veteran big on an expiring contract). Seeing Simons in a bigger role would be very intriguing, and that's exactly what would occur in Indy alongside Duarte.
***
So, there we have it. Six teams who stand out as possible landing spots and who should be banging down Indiana's door in pursuit of a perfect modern big man.
This isn&rsquo;t even the tip of the iceberg in terms of Turner&rsquo;s potential destinations though. Many other teams not listed will certainly call about the 25-year-old. As a floor-spacer and rim-protector who might not have hit his true ceiling yet, expect over the half of the league to inquire about Turner in some fashion.

The Pacers are about to blow up their roster. Which teams make the most sense to pursue Myles Turner? Evan Sidery lists six.

Examining potential trade destinations for Myles Turner

Delaware Blue Coats forward Paul Reed has been named the 2020-21 NBA G League Most Valuable Player and NBA G League Rookie of the Year, the NBA G League announced today. He becomes the third player to win both awards in the same season, joining Tim Frazier (2014-15) and Devin Brown (2002-03).
A two-way player with the Philadelphia 76ers, Reed (6-9, 210, DePaul) averaged 22.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.93 steals and 1.80 blocks while shooting 58.8% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range in 15 regular-season games with the Blue Coats. Among qualified players, Reed ranked third in the NBA G League in scoring and rebounding and tied for third in steals. He also recorded a league-high 12 double-doubles.
Among rookies, Reed was the league leader in rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game (4.6), and he ranked second in scoring, tied for second in steals and seventh in blocks. Reed equaled a rookie season high with 35 points in Delaware&rsquo;s 129-114 loss to the Oklahoma City Blue on Feb. 27, a total matched only by Raptors 905 guard Malachi Flynn. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Reed led the Blue Coats to a franchise-best seven-game winning streak to start the season, a stretch in which he averaged 22.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.29 steals and 1.43 blocks. He was named the NBA G League Player of the Week for Week 1 of the season.
Behind Reed, Delaware posted a 10-5 record in the regular season and earned the fourth seed in the 2021 NBA G League Playoffs. The Blue Coats won two playoff games before losing to the Lakeland Magic 97-78 in the NBA G League Final presented by YouTube TV on March 11.
The 76ers selected Reed with the 58th overall pick in the NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm. Reed, who signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia on Nov. 27, 2020, has appeared in seven games for the 76ers this season. NBA G League head coaches and general managers whose teams participated in single-site play at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., voted for both the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards.&nbsp;
Rio Grande Valley Vipers guard Kevin Porter Jr., who was on assignment from the Houston Rockets, finished in second place in voting for NBA G League MVP. Raptors 905 forward Henry Ellenson finished third.In NBA G League Rookie of the Year voting, Lakeland forward Mamadi Diakite and Canton Charge guard Brodric Thomas finished in second and third place, respectively.
 NBA G League Most Valuable Players 2020-21: Paul Reed (Delaware Blue Coats) 2019-20: Frank Mason III (Wisconsin Herd) 2018-19: Chris Boucher (Raptors 905) 2017-18: Lorenzo Brown (Raptors 905) 2016-17: Vander Blue (Los Angeles D-Fenders) 2015-16: Jarnell Stokes (Sioux Falls Skyforce) 2014-15: Tim Frazier (Maine Red Claws) 2013-14: Ron Howard (Fort Wayne Mad Ants) &nbsp; &nbsp; Othyus Jeffers (Iowa Energy) 2012-13: Andrew Goudelock (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) 2011-12: Justin Dentmon (Austin Toros) 2010-11: Curtis Stinson (Iowa Energy) 2009-10: Mike Harris (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) 2008-09: Courtney Sims (Iowa Energy) 2007-08: Kasib Powell (Sioux Falls Skyforce) 2006-07: Randy Livingston (Idaho Stampede) 2005-06: Marcus Fizer (Austin Toros) 2004-05: Matt Carroll (Roanoke Dazzle) 2003-04: Tierre Brown (Charleston Lowgators) 2002-03: Devin Brown (Fayetteville Patriots) 2001-02: Ansu Sesay (Greenville Groove) NBA G League Rookie of the Year Winners 2020-21: Paul Reed (Delaware Blue Coats) 2019-20: Tremont Waters, Maine Red Claws 2018-19: Angel Delgado, Aqua Caliente Clippers 2017-18: Antonio Blakeney, Windy City Bulls 2016-17: Abdel Nader, Maine Red Claws 2015-16: Quinn Cook, Canton Charge 2014-15: Tim Frazier, Maine Red Claws 2013-14: Robert Covington, Rio Grande Valley Vipers 2012-13: Tony Mitchell, Fort Wayne Mad Ants 2011-12: Edwin Ubiles, Dakota Wizards 2010-11: DeShawn Sims, Maine Red Claws 2009-10: Alonzo Gee, Austin Toros 2008-09: Othyus Jeffers, Iowa Energy 2007-08: Blake Ahearn, Dakota Wizards 2006-07: Louis Amundson, Colorado 14ers 2005-06: Will Bynum, Roanoke Dazzle 2004-05: James Thomas, Roanoke Dazzle 2003-04: Desmond Penigar, Asheville Altitude 2002-03: Devin Brown, Fayetteville Patriots 2001-02: Fred House, Charleston Lowgators
Source: Official G League Press Release

Paul Reed, the forward from the Delaware Blue Coats, has been named the 2020-21 G League MVP.

Delaware Blue Coats' Paul Reed named 2020-21 NBA G League MVP

Ethan Fuller breaks down the state of each NBA franchise and ranks the most frustrating teams ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season.

NBA 'Sour' Rankings: Preseason Prelude

David West, James Posey, Etan Thomas, Mo Evans, Jahidi White and more discuss injuries in the NBA, team doctors and second opinions.