Does Myles Turner not being avaiable impact the Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are a team looking to reshape their roster over the summer after their disappointing 2021-22 season. One player that we have looked at previously who may help the Hawks is Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers.

The seven-year veteran has turned into somewhat of a unicorn, averaging 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game for his career. What puts him in the unicorn category is that he is 6’11” and has shot the 3-ball at 34.9 percent for his career.

It is not as though he rarely takes 3-points shots. He is averaging 2.6 per game for his career. Turner has taken no less than 4.0 attempts per game over the past three seasons. On top of that he has led the league in blocks twice over the past four seasons.

With the Pacers struggling, Turner has been on the table as a trade piece. Joseph Zucker of B/R states that Turner is now likely to stay with the Pacers despite the buzz at the trade deadline that the Pacers were likely to trade him. He was one of the few veterans who remained with the franchise after the deadline.

The case for and against the Atlanta Hawks trading for Myles Turner

The Hawks would be well served by Turner whose rim protection is greater than Clint Capela’s. They do need the help on the defensive end after last season’s performance. He is also a floor spacing option but this could be a bit of a poison pill,

Gorgui Dieng, who is nowhere near the player that Turner is lost all of his court time due to the Hawks systems being so pick and roll focussed. With that being said, Turner is a good enough player to work it out with Trae Young.

However, the other problem for the Hawks and Turner is that he is unable to stay on the court. He has only had two seasons where he has played over 70 games. In fact, in the last two seasons, Turner has not managed 50 games which would not help the Hawks get back to the playoffs.

So, should the Hawks be disappointed now that Turner is reportedly no longer on the market? No, not really. He was a nice thought early last season but the number and severity of the injuries that he continually suffers makes his $18.0 million contract for next season not a viable option for the Hawks.