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The Los Angeles Lakers have, once again, been mentioned in reportage on the trade market for two not-quite-All-Stars: Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner and Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant.
Here was the latest scuttlebutt, courtesy of The Athletic's Shams Charania:
On Grant:
Several playoff teams are pursuing Pistons star forward Jerami Grant: The Wizards, Knicks, Blazers and Lakers among others, sources said.
On Turner:
Rival teams are ramping up conversations with the Pacers involving guard Caris LeVert and center Myles Turner. The Mavericks and Knicks are expressing interest in trading for Turner, sources said. The Lakers and Hornets have had a level of interest in Turner as well, sources added.
Grant makes $20 million per season. Turner makes $18 million. In essence, both players would garner the same package from the Lakers: Talen Horton-Tucker ($9.5 million), Kendrick Nunn ($5 million), one minimum contract, either a 2027 or 2028 first-round pick, and possibly a trade exception (the Lakers have two), a second-round pick(s), and/or cash considerations.
Whether Indiana or Detroit would be compelled by that package is reasonable to wonder and a question I'm not qualified to answer. The Lakers, though, don't have much flexibility in what they can offer.
Let's address these one at a time, from a Lakers perspective.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TPm3OFftbac33PA5zzf8R?si=6844a75129754231
Jerami Grant
Grant, 27, will be eligible for a four-year, $112 million extension this offseason. Before spraining his thumb, the 6'8 forward was averaging 20.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 2021-22 on .414/.331/.849 shooting splits. In 2020-21, his first season in Detroit, he put up similar production — 22.1 points, 4.6 rebounds on .429/.350/.845 splits.
In theory, Grants fits the mold of the type of player the Lakers could use: a rangy forward who can play inside and out and shuffle between positions. He would offer another go-to scoring option to help them tread water when LeBron James rests. Overall, he'd inject a significant infusion of pure hoops talent.
Giving up 21-year old THT (and a first-rounder) for Grant is a steep price (the Pistons would probably ask for Austin Reaves or Malik Monk as the minimum player — by no means should the Lakers agree to that). If they do ship out Horton-Tucker, they would have to extend Grant, who hasn't proven to be a difference-making player on a true contender. On the other hand, the Lakers are (mostly) operating on LeBron's timeline, and Grant is a much better player than Horton-Tucker, right now.
It's certainly possible, perhaps likely, that rival suitors outbid Los Angeles.
Myles Turner
The Lakers have effectively pivoted to small-ball with Anthony Davis sidelined. It's provided a jolt of offensive production and spacing to their attack and sparked a dominant two-way stretch of basketball from LeBron James. But, AD will return in a matter of weeks, and their centerless approach may end up as more of a back-pocket move than primary game-plan, especially in the playoffs.
Turner is averaging 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game (leading the NBA for the second straight season), and doing so in only 29.6 minutes per game for a bad Pacers team. He's hitting nearly 35% of his triples, just about at his career rate.
It's unclear how the recent stylistic shift affects the Lakers' need for Turner, other than it does. The Lakers may still view a floor-spacing(ish), rim-protecting, young and athletic big as precisely the player they need, as their non-AD centers (Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan) are limited in their usefulness. They may also see a Russell Westbrook-LeBron-AD-Turner combo as a clogged lineup that would struggle offensively. Conversely, Turner's presence on the perimeter might mitigate AD's league-worst jump shooting.
Ideally, if he were to join the Lakers, Turner would make a few more threes while prioritizing rim protection and hustle work. Considering his yearning for a bigger role in Indiana and 2023 free agency looming, would he be willing to play that part in Los Angeles?
One appeal of Turner for the Lakers: the 25-year old is signed through next season at the same $18 million figure.
In general, the Lakers, sitting one game above .500 at the halfway point and facing a challenging remaining schedule, will need to make a philosophical decision before the Feb. 10 trade deadline: Do they swing big for a near-star (like Grant or Turner), tinker around the edges (i.e. trade Jordan or Kent Bazemore, or trust their roster as is to develop cohesion over time.
