Ten Reasons Why the Lakers Should Prioritize Trading for Myles Turner!

While the Los Angeles Lakers have seemingly embraced small ball with Anthony Davis at the five, Frank Vogel still likes playing two bigs, especially when one is an inside-out shapeshifter like AD who can play big or small.

We saw Vogel’s love for two bigs Sunday when he started Jordan at center and Davis at power forward, hoping to reverse the trend of the ‘too small’ Lakers getting killed on the boards and losing the points-in-the-paint battle. The Lakers miss having the 6′ 9,” 245 lb Markieff Morris, who combined with 6′ 9,’ 250 lb LeBron James, and 6′ 10,” 253 lb Anthony Davis to anchor the bully ball version of small-ball-on-steroids that won the 2020 championship.

As Vogel works to find lineups that give the Lakers more size, we’re likely to see more games Frank plays two bigs rather than going small with AD at the five. After all, he prefers two bigs and Anthony Davis prefers to play the five. Which raises the question of whether the big move the Lakers should make at the trade deadline should be one designed to allow them to play two bigs while still playing the same five-out offense and rotating pressure defense.

Here are ten reasons why the Lakers’ top priority at the trade deadline should be trade for Pacers’ center Myles Turner, who would dramatically improve the Lakers short-term and long-term chances to win more championships.

1. Better Rim Protection. Combining Myles Turner, #1 with 3.1 blocks per game, with Anthony Davis, #3 with 2.3 blocks per game, would enable the Lakers to have an elite shot blocker in the game for all 48 minutes.
2. Better Perimeter Defense. An elite shot blocker on the court all the time would enable the Lakers’ perimeter defenders to pressure the ball more aggressively knowing there always was a rim protector backing them up.
3. Better Rebounding. Great defensive stops usually end by securing the rebound and adding 6′ 11,” 250 lb Myles Turner, who’s averaging a career best 7.5 rebounds per game, including 1.5 on the offensive end.
4. Better Floor Spacing. Myles Turner’s 42.2% on 4.4 threes per game would provide critical spacing for LeBron, AD, and Russ to attack the paint and get to the rim. 51.6% of Turner’s shots are from three.
5. Better Vertical Gravity. One of weapons the Lakers miss from their championship season are the dunks off lobs to McGee and Howard. 48.8% of Turner’s shots are 2-pointers and 21,6% dunks at the rim.
6. AD Plays the Four. Allowing Anthony Davis to play his preferred power forward position is one of the biggest benefits of trading for Turner. Two stretch fives who can also attack and protect the rim is a big advantage.
7. LeBron Plays the Three. Looking at how LeBron is playing this year, the Lakers might be better off with him playing the three, where he can be more of a point forward and 3-point shooter, than banging at the four.
8. Team Gets Bigger. Frank likes size and adding Turner at stretch five adds more size and versatility than a comparable small or power forward. Can’t get bigger than LeBron, AD, and Myles at the three, four, and five.
9. Team Gets Younger. At 25, Myles Turner is three years younger than Anthony Davis and gives the Lakers a dynamic young center to pair with AD once LeBron James has retired. Suddenly, Lakers are younger.
10. Avoid Losing Free Agents. A Turner trade could cost Horton-Tucker, who at 20-years old is still a year or two away from stardom, and Nunn and Monk, for whom we lack Bird rights and would lose in free agency.

While the simpler solution for the Lakers would be to trade for a bigger (6′ 6″ to 6′ 9″) 3&D wing to supplement Ariza, trading instead for a shot blocking stretch five like Myles Turner has a bigger upside for Lakers’ championships.