If there's one thing exciting rookie center Quinten Post has proven over the last three games, it's that a genuine stretch five in the Golden State Warriors rotation was long overdue.
Despite being a late second-round pick last season at 52nd overall, Post has quickly come in and garnered more playing time than both Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney over the last two games.
A perfect trade target could become available for the Warriors
While Post has been a refreshing sight for the Warriors and their biggest positive over the last week, there still remains a major question on how much Golden State can trust him as a 20-25 minute per game over the remainder of the season.
In some eyes the 24-year-old may have lessened the need for the Warriors to get a stretch five prior to the trade deadline, but others believe it's even more important for the franchise to acquire another more proven option.
Golden State have been strongly linked to Nikola Vucevic over recent weeks, but an even better option may present itself before the February 6 deadline. In a Q&A on his YouTube channel in recent days, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported that there's some growing speculation around the league of Myles Turner being available at the Indiana Pacers.
"I have heard a little bit of chatter about that, about some uncertainty and not Lakers specific, just kind of league chatter in terms of Turner," Buha said.
From an on-court perspective, Turner would just about be the perfect option for Golden State outside of acquiring an All-Star level player. Not only would Turner bring a similar level of offensive production as Vucevic, he's also a far superior defender as a legitimate rim-protector, not to mention he's also six years younger and in the prime of his career.
Those aspects also mean Turner is likely to be far less attainable, and require much more in any potential trade package. With last year's conference finalist Indiana Pacers currently 25-20 and fifth in the East, they're not about to give up their starting center for little in return.
The only reason he may be available in the first place is because of his expiring contract and that the Pacers may not be willing to meet his demands in free agency. That in itself means that if the Warriors, Lakers or any other team were to give up significant assets to acquire Turner before the deadline, then they'd want to be sure they have a deal in place to bring him back during the summer.
Turner has averaged 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 31.1 minutes this season, having shot 39.3% from 3-point range on over five attempts per game. The 6'11" big man is certainly an unlikely target for the Warriors prior to the deadline, but is still someone to monitor over the coming days.