Myles Turner Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: LaVine, Turner, Bickerstaff, Rondo

March 4th, 2022 at 9:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls All-Star Zach LaVine previously said that he won’t know in advance whether he’ll be able to play back-to-back games going forward. Chicago continues to monitor him daily, but coach Billy Donovan said that LaVine’s knee has been feeling much better since the All-Star break (Twitter links via Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago).

After playing against the Hawks on Thursday, LaVine didn’t appear on Chicago’s injury report on Friday and suited up for both ends of the back-to-back against the Bucks. He finished the game with 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but the Bulls dropped their fourth straight in a 118-112 loss. Chicago is now the No. 4 seed in the East with a 39-25 record.

Here’s more from the Central:

Pacers center Myles Turner has been sidelined since January 14 after suffering a stress reaction in his left foot, but he’s making progress in his rehab, as James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star relays. Turner posted an Instagram video of himself running for the first time since the injury. He was doing defensive slides in another video, apparently at Detroit’s practice facility. Indiana lost at Detroit 111-106 on Friday night. There’s no official timetable for Turner’s return.
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fined $20K by the NBA for inappropriate language directed at officials and refusing to leave the court in a timely manner during Wednesday’s 119-98 loss to the Hornets, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Bickerstaff was ejected after receiving two technical fouls early in the third quarter. The Cavs have dropped six of their past seven games after Friday’s 125-119 loss to the Sixers.
Cavaliers point guard Rajon Rondo was upgraded from out to doubtful for Friday’s contest after participating in the team’s shootaround, but ultimately missed the game against Philadelphia. A source tells Fedor (Twitter link) that Rondo is “getting close” to a return, but isn’t quite ready yet. Rondo is eight days removed from suffering a sprained big toe which was expected to sideline him for about two weeks, so he’s apparently a little ahead of schedule in his recovery.

Malcolm Brogdon Expects To Return On Friday

February 23rd, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon expects to return on Friday after missing over a month due to a right Achilles injury, tweets James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. It will be Indiana’s first game after the All-Star break, with the Thunder in town.

Although Brogdon last played on January 19, the injury has bothered him for longer than that. The Achilles issue and a stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols have limited the veteran guard to just three total appearances since December 15.

In 28 games (33.4 MPG) this season, Brogdon has averaged 18.5 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 5.1 RPG, though he’s had a down year from a shot-making perspective — his .307 3PT% would be a career low.

With a 20-40 record, Indiana is well out of the playoff picture, but Brogdon indicated today that he’s not throwing the towel in on the season. “I want to play. I want to win,” he said of his approach the rest of the way (Twitter link via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files).

The Pacers will likely be curious to see how Brogdon looks alongside newly-acquired point guard Tyrese Haliburton. The organization clearly views Haliburton as part of its long-term backcourt, so if he and Brogdon mesh quickly, that bodes well for the veteran’s future in Indiana. A report earlier this month suggested there are some rival executives who believe the Pacers will trade Brogdon in the offseason.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle provided a few more injury updates on Wednesday, telling reporters that Myles Turner (foot) is still at least a “couple weeks” away, while T.J. Warren (foot) practiced, but still doesn’t have a timeline set for his return (Twitter link via Boyd).

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Hield, Turner, Brogdon, Smith, Sabonis

February 11th, 2022 at 8:47pm CST by Rory Maher

New addition Tyrese Haliburton said the Kings gave him no indication that he might be traded to the Pacers or any other team, as Wheat Hotchkiss of Pacers.com writes. “It’s just overwhelming,” Haliburton told reporters on Thursday, following his first practice with Indiana. “I had no idea, they gave me no indication this was happening.”

Haliburton said it’s hard not to feel a little circumspect entering a new city after being hurt, but he’s still excited for a fresh opportunity.

“It’s scary, right?” he said. “I’ve put a lot of love, a lot of trust in Sacramento and kind of immersed myself in the community and with the people. They got rid of me, but you know that’s part of the business. I think that’s kind of my best trait. It’s like somebody who just loves hard. I want to be here. I want to be a part of it.

“It can be the biggest upside, but it can be a big downfall, too. It hurt when I got traded because I loved being there and I loved the people, but coming here I’m going to do the same thing. They’ve shown me nothing but love since I’ve gotten here and they’re another organization taking a chance on me (when) they have no reason to. So I’ll put everything I’ve got into it.”

Here’s more from Indiana:

Buddy Hield, who was also part of the trade, said it was “a shift that was needed,” after a disappointing season in Sacramento, Joel Lorenzi of The Indianapolis Star relays. “Just want to go there and do what I do best, shoot the ball and try to make opportunities for my teammates,” Hield said. “Just bring the positive energy I can bring to this team.”
Coach Rick Carlisle said Myles Turner (stress reaction in foot) will be out through the All-Star break, but Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles soreness) is “close” to returning. Neither player has an official timetable, James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star tweets.
If Jalen Smith plays well with the Pacers, he might price himself out of Indiana for an unusual reason, according to Nat Newell of The Indianapolis Star. Smith, who the Pacers acquired in a trade that sent Torrey Craig to the Suns, had his third-year team option declined by Phoenix, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer, but with one big caveat — Indiana can only offer up to the amount of his declined option, which was $4,670,160.
Two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, who was sent to the Kings as part of the trade that brought Hield and Haliburton to Indiana, thanked Pacers fans on Instagram recently, Newell writes in a separate story for The Star.

Trade Rumors: Mavs, R. Lopez, Hawks, Wizards, Pistons, More

February 10th, 2022 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks have made Dwight Powell available, but they remain uninterested in moving Jalen Brunson or Dorian Finney-Smith, reports Matt Moore of ActionNetwork.com. If those two players are off the table, Dallas may have a hard time finding a deal that significantly upgrades its roster.

According to Moore, Tim Hardaway Jr., who is out indefinitely due to a foot injury, is the player the Mavericks have shopped most aggressively. Hardaway was having a down year prior to his injury and is on a sizable long-term contract ($53.7MM for three years after this season), so his value will be limited.

Still, Moore notes that Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is a big fan of Hardaway, whom he coached in Dallas. Moore has also heard that the Wizards and Mavericks discussed a deal involving Hardaway and Spencer Dinwiddie, though a source tells Moore that the two sides didn’t make much progress.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Magic have been willing to discuss center Robin Lopez, but are apparently asking for a first-round pick, according to Moore. I’d be surprised if a team is willing to meet that price.
The Hawks may have a quiet deadline, with John Collins appearing increasingly unlikely to be dealt, but they remain on the lookout for a backup point guard, Moore reports.
Within his trade-rumor roundup, Moore also says the Wizards have been willing to discuss anyone besides Bradley Beal or Kyle Kuzma, and adds that Pistons guard Cory Joseph is “gettable.” Moore has received mixed intel on whether Detroit is interested in moving Kelly Olynyk.
Pacers center Myles Turner appears less likely to be dealt now that the team has moved Domantas Sabonis, but the Knicks continue to pursue Turner, a league source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. The big man is dealing with a foot injury that may sideline him until at least March.
With Harrison Barnes looking like a good bet to stay with the Kings through the deadline, Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III are the Sacramento players most often identified by rival teams as candidates to be moved in the next few hours, says Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Stein’s Latest: Lillard, Wall, Westbrook, Mavs, Turner, Harden, Simmons

February 10th, 2022 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers‘ roster makeover this week has prompted multiple teams to place a call to Portland’s front office in an effort to engage in trade talks involving Damian Lillard, according to Marc Stein at Substack. However, Stein hears that those inquiries have been “swiftly rebuffed” by the Blazers.

Reporting following the CJ McCollum trade this week indicated that Portland’s plan is to reshape its roster around Lillard, and the star point guard still sounds committed to sticking it out with the Blazers. As Stein writes, there’s a growing expectation from the outside that Lillard probably won’t return from his abdominal surgery this season, with the Blazers seemingly shifting their short-term focus from playoff contention to draft positioning.

Here’s more from Stein:

A source close to the situation tells Stein that the Rockets remain unwilling to consider a John Wall/Russell Westbrook swap unless the Lakers are willing to put their 2027 first-round pick in a deal. There has still been no indication that Los Angeles is open to that concept, says Stein.
The Mavericks made a run at Caris LeVert before the Pacers traded him to Cleveland, but were unable to make a deal, according to Stein, who notes that the Cavaliers were able to offer better assets than Dallas. A Mavs offer may have required Indiana to take the long-term contract of injured swingman Tim Hardaway Jr., Stein writes.
Although a trade of Myles Turner hasn’t been entirely ruled out, the big man is widely expected to remain with the Pacers through the deadline, per Stein.
Stein says his best read of the James Harden/Ben Simmons situation is that there’s a price point at which the Nets would be willing to make a deal today, but it would be “steep” and it’s unclear if the Sixers have the appetite to meet it.

Pacers Rumors: Brogdon, Hield, Warren, Craig, Turner, Korkmaz

February 9th, 2022 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

There are rival executives around the NBA who believe the Pacers will trade Malcolm Brogdon this offseason following their acquisition of Tyrese Haliburton, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Brogdon isn’t eligible to be traded this season due to the contract extension he signed in the fall, but could be moved in the summer

The Pacers shouldn’t feel any urgency to deal Brogdon, since he and Haliburton are both solid ball-handlers, defenders, and shooters who could complement one another in the backcourt. But the presence of Haliburton certainly will give Indiana more options if the team wants to try to use Brogdon in a trade to address another area of the roster.

According to Scotto, the Pacers are also open to flipping newly-acquired shooting guard Buddy Hield prior to Thursday’s trade deadline. Hield’s $23MM cap hit and the $40MM he’s owed for the two seasons after this one will probably make it tricky for the club to get much of value for him, especially since he has had a down year — his .368 3PT% is the worst mark of his career.

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Veteran forwards T.J. Warren and Torrey Craig are among the other players the Pacers have made available in advance of Thursday’s trade deadline, league sources tell Scotto. Warren, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, hasn’t played since December 2020 due to a foot injury, so teams may be reluctant to take a flier on him.
Myles Turner is expected to remain with the Pacers beyond the deadline, a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking tells Chris Mannix of SI.com. Mannix and Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com have both heard that the Pistons and Pacers discussed a swap centered around Turner and Jerami Grant, but Bulpett says Indiana rejected it. According to Bulpett, the Bucks have also shown some interest in Turner to fill the Brook Lopez role on their roster, with Lopez’s availability for the rest of the season up in the air.
The Pacers have some interest in Sixers wing Furkan Korkmaz, believing that he could benefit from a change of scenery, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. A career 37.7% three-point shooter entering this season, Korkmaz has made just 28.7% of his attempts from beyond the arc in 2021/22.

Pacers Notes: Turner, Rebuild, Roster, Carlisle

February 8th, 2022 at 10:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The deal today between the Pacers and Kings that exchanged headliners Domantas Sabonis and Tyrese Haliburton, among others, could prove to be good news for remaining Indiana big man Myles Turner, says Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, Turner seems to be excited to play alongside Haliburton. Turner, currently recuperating from a stress reaction in his right foot, has had another solid-if-injury-plagued season with Indiana. Turner, averaging 12.9 PPG and 7.1 RPG this year, should see additional offensive touches as he shifts over to a full-time center role.

There’s more out of the Hoosier State:

After opting to move on from two-time All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis, the Pacers will pivot its focus to Turner and budding second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton as they retool their roster, writes James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star. Boyd credits the Indiana front office with making the right call in moving perhaps its best trade chip for a possible future star in Haliburton.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle raved about his team’s new additions tonight, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). Carlisle praised new wing Buddy Hield as a high-level shooter, and expressed his enthusiasm to work with Haliburton, hailing the latter as “an elite young point guard that affects the game positively in many, many ways.”
In his first season back with the Pacers since 2007, returning head coach Rick Carlisle has become a key voice as the Pacers make roster decisions with an eye towards the future, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “We’re putting together a path forward that is going to be a little bit different, obviously, after, after today and tonight,” Carlisle said after the team traded veteran wing Caris LeVert in exchange for the expiring contract of injured guard Ricky Rubio and three future draft picks.

Pacers Rumors: Turner, Sabonis, Ayton, Rubio, McCollum

February 8th, 2022 at 7:16am CST by Luke Adams

After trading Caris LeVert to Cleveland, the Pacers continue to talk to teams about centers Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis, but are still seeking a substantial return, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Indiana wants at least two first-round picks for Turner and an even more significant package for Sabonis, according to Fischer.

The Trail Blazers, Mavericks, Raptors, Knicks, Hornets, and Kings are among the teams to express interest in Turner, but they’ve all balked at the Pacers’ asking price so far, Fischer writes. As Fischer reported last week, Toronto has discussed a framework of Goran Dragic‘s expiring contract and a first-round pick for Turner, but it sounds like Indiana would want more assets than just a single first-rounder.

The Kings have engaged with the Pacers about both Turner and Sabonis, though it’s unclear how much progress was made in those talks, says Fischer. De’Aaron Fox was “at least mentioned in some capacity” in discussions between the two teams, according to Fischer, which echoes a January report.

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Some people around the NBA who have spoken to Bleacher Report have suggested the Suns may be one of the teams interest in Sabonis. While Phoenix isn’t expected to shake up their roster this week, some of Fischer’s sources believe an offseason deal that involves Sabonis and a Deandre Ayton sign-and-trade is a possibility.
Both Fischer and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst say that Ricky Rubio‘s expiring contract could be flipped before Thursday’s trade deadline, which Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Monday. T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb, also on expiring contracts, look like trade candidates too, per Fischer.
Fischer reports that the Pacers are believed to be one of the teams with some interest in Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum.

Scotto’s Latest: McCollum, Covington, Finney-Smith, Raptors, Gallinari

February 5th, 2022 at 5:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

In the wake of Friday’s trade that sent Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers, many executives around the league expect the Trail Blazers to move CJ McCollum either before the deadline or during the offseason, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Pelicans and Mavericks are among the teams with interest in McCollum, Scotto adds.

Joe Cronin, the interim general manager in Portland, said the trade with L.A. was designed to create more playing time for Anfernee Simons, who has emerged as a potential star in his fourth NBA season. Cronin calls Simons, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, a “core piece” and said the team “wanted to create a runway here for him.” The same reasoning could apply to moving the 30-year-old McCollum, who will make $69.13MM over the next two seasons.

Scotto shares a few more trade-related tidbits:

After Friday’s trade was completed, several teams called the Clippers to see if they were interested in flipping Covington, who has a $12.975MM expiring contract. However, L.A. sees Covington as insurance if Nicolas Batum decides to turn down his $3.3MM player option this summer and would consider re-signing him even if Batum remains with the team. Scotto views Serge Ibaka as the next Clipper who might be traded.
Sources tell Scotto that the Mavericks passed on an offer of a potential late-lottery pick in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith. The 28-year-old forward will be a free agent this summer, but Scotto cites “sentiment around the league” that Finney-Smith is outplaying his maximum extension of $55.6MM over four years.
Pacers center Myles Turner is among the names the Raptors have considered in their search for help in the middle. Scotto identifies Jakob Poeltl, Robert Williams, Nicolas Claxton and Jusuf Nurkic as other potential Toronto targets, saying the Raptors have considered offering a first-round pick to the Spurs for Poeltl. The price for Turner would be even higher, as Indiana wants either two first-round picks or one first-rounder and a young player with potential.
The Raptors are among several teams with interest in acquiring veteran forward Danilo Gallinari from the Hawks. Scotto notes that Goran Dragic, who hasn’t played since November, could be used to help match salaries in a deal with Atlanta.

Stein’s Latest: Collins, Hawks, Poeltl, Turner, Fox, Lopez

February 4th, 2022 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks big man John Collins appears increasingly unlikely to be traded before next Thursday’s deadline, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article. As Stein explains, Atlanta has been involved in plenty of trade discussions in recent weeks, but the team is playing well lately and seems inclined to push any Collins deal into the offseason.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe conveyed a similar sentiment earlier today. While he didn’t focus specifically on Collins or any other player, Lowe reported that the Hawks remain active in trade talks, but don’t appear to feel the same urgency to make a move that they did a couple weeks ago.

Here are a few more trade rumors from Stein’s latest roundup:

The Spurs would require a first-round pick and a quality player in order to part with center Jakob Poeltl, according to Stein, who says the Bulls are among the teams to express interest in the big man. Stein previously identified Toronto as another club with interest in Poeltl.
Stein was told on Friday morning that the odds of Pacers big man Myles Turner being moved before the February 10 deadline are a “coin flip.” Turner seemed more likely to be dealt before he sustained a stress fracture in his foot that cooled his market.
Despite the Kings‘ insistence that they want to keep De’Aaron Fox and build around him and Tyrese Haliburton, Stein says numerous teams still believe Sacramento would be willing to part with Fox.
Teams have inquired on center Robin Lopez, but it’s unclear how interested the Magic are in trading him, Stein writes.