The New Orleans Pelicans fan base has long waited for a starting center who can step outside and knock down the three-ball. When you have a downhill scoring force like Zion Williamson, having as many players as he can drive and kick out to or hit in the pick-and-pop is only going to open up the Pelicans' offense. Outside of Karl-Anthony Towns, Myles Turner is the most notable floor-spacing center over the last several seasons in the NBA.
When targeting a big to check that box, no name is as realistic a target for the Pelicans as Turner. With the Milwaukee Bucks in the midst of a transition to a rebuilding timeline following Giannis Antetokounmpo’s departure, Turner’s price could be at an all-time low. So I fully understand the allure of trading for Turner, but the idea is better than what the results would be with him manning the paint. On paper, the fit is totally there; his ability to space the floor and block shots is exactly what you want alongside Zion.
But given his age, contract, and poor rebounding for his size, the Pelicans have three obvious red flags that should lead them to avoid this move.
Turner is no longer the right fit next to Zion.
While having a big who can shoot would create a massive advantage for the Pelicans and help Zion thrive, the negatives outweigh the positives.
While last season Turner shot 38 percent from three, he averaged just 5.3 rebounds per game. Those types of rebounding numbers would thrive next to a power forward like Giannis because he’s such a beast and freak of nature on the glass; Zion isn’t that. Last season, Giannis averaged 9.8 rebounds per game, and Zion averaged 5.7. That's a massive drop-off and a major adjustment for Turner, and it would test him as a glass cleaner in a way he hasn’t ever been tested in his career.
On top of the concerns about how he fits in as a rebounder, Turner also is on a three-year deal worth $83.5 million total with a player option on the third season when he’ll be 32 years old—locking in that type of money for several seasons when a player is only going to be getting further out from his prime sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
If this were three summers ago when Zion was still rising, and Turner was much younger, bringing him to New Orleans would have made sense. Back then, Turner was a two-block, seven-rebound-per-game big who could also space the floor. Bringing a guy like that still in his prime when Zion was ascending young talent would’ve been perfect, now not so much. We know what Zion is, and the last thing he needs to be paired with is a liability on the glass who is only moving further away from his prime.
Even though on paper or in a video game the idea of Myles Turner on this team sounds like a dream, it’s simply that—a dream. Sure, this team needs real legit center play, but Myles Turner isn’t the solution to that, and it’s time fans catch on.
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