NBA Rumors: 'Chatter' on Myles Turner's Status with Pacers Ahead of Trade Deadline

There has reportedly been some talk within league circles that Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner could become available ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

Speaking on his YouTube channel (beginning at the 2-minute mark), Jovan Buha of The Athletic said he has heard "a little bit of chatter" regarding the Pacers' willingness to trade Turner:

Buha noted that if the Pacers do trade Turner, it will be because of his contract situation, as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season after signing a two-year, $58 million extension in 2023.

The Pacers made a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and although they are not among the upper echelon of teams in the East this season, they are still in the thick of the playoff race in fifth place with a 24-20 record.

Indiana doesn't feel like a legitimate championship contender ahead of the Eastern Conference's elite teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, but the Pacers are also in a favorable enough position where becoming a seller would perhaps miff their fans.

With that said, trading Turner could perhaps net them a tantalizing package of players and draft picks to help them in the future, plus they could potentially use some of those pieces to make another deal that would help them this season.

The 28-year-old Turner is one of the NBA's most versatile centers, excelling as both a shooter and rim protector.

A two-time NBA blocks leader, Turner is averaging 15.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.5 assists in 41 starts this season.

Perhaps most impressively, Turner continues to expand his offensive range, as he is averaging a career-high 2.0 three-pointers made per game on career-best 39.6 percent shooting from deep.

Turner would likely garner a ton of interest from teams across the league on the trade market, but Buha singled out the Los Angeles Lakers as a team that should go all in on trying to acquire him.

Buha, who is primarily a Lakers reporter, suggested that Turner would be a perfect fit alongside Anthony Davis in L.A. since he could help Davis on the interior defensively, while also spreading the floor offensively.

It is unclear if the Lakers have the pieces needed to make a Turner trade happen, but a core of Davis, Turner and LeBron James would perhaps make them one of the toughest outs during the Western Conference playoffs.