The Golden State Warriors trading for Myles Turner might sound productive in their search for a starting center, but it will likely only continue their mediocrity and cost them draft capital in the process.
Turner is already showing why the Warriors should avoid trading for the veteran center, having endured a slow start to the season as the rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks fall to a 0-3 record.
Myles Turner is already showing why Warriors should avoid trade
Turner is averaging just 7.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 27.3 minutes so far this season, shooting just 39.1% from the floor and 28.6% from 3-point range. Those are incredibly underwhelming numbers outside his rim protection, but also reflective of what Turner has failed to provide Milwaukee since arriving in a major free agency move last year.
It's just hard for any team, even one like Golden State who are desperate for a starting center, to look at Turner and think it's a good idea to take on him and a contract that still has three years and $83 million remaining if you include this season.
That becomes even more the case when the Warriors would likely have to add a first-round pick into the equation, such is the negative value of Kristaps Porzingis who may never play basketball again. Oh, and Golden State would also have to throw in Moses Moody to make the contracts work.
The only way Golden State could talk themselves into it is that Turner has played underwhelming and at times lazy basketball because he's playing for a rebuilding team in Milwaukee. The problem with that theory is that the Warriors themselves don't even look like a playoff contender, nor one that's going to be playing meaningful basketball later in the season.
Warriors would have to get something else from Myles Turner trade
Golden State might also talk themselves into it if there's another more valuable piece in the trade. For example, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley has proposed a trade that has the Warriors acquiring Turner and former guard Ryan Rollins in exchange for Porzingis, Moody, a 2028 first-round pick and 2031 pick swap.
Rollins himself has had an underwhelming start to the season, but there's no doubt he brings immense value on a $4 million deal. The problem with that is the 24-year-old has a $4 million player option for next year that he'll almost certainly opt out of, meaning the Warriors could lose Rollins again after less than a full season.
While The Athletic reported earlier in the week that the Warriors reached out to the Bucks, it's hard to see a trade taking place that proves worthwhile for Golden State.
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