The NBA trade deadline is about to finish up and the Timberwolves did not get in on the action and now Evan Turner and Danny Granger are getting swapped for the Indiana Pacers and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Evan Turner has been a name that has come up in trade rumors quite a bit heading into 2014 and now reports have the Charlotte Bobcats interested in trading for the Philadelphia 76ers forward and comes as the February trading deadline is a little more than two weeks away.
The Sixers have been looked at as a team that could be a seller at the deadline as they work to rebuild under general manager Sam Hinkie and Turner could be the first player to get dealt. According to SB Nation and ESPN.com, the Charlotte Bobcats have expressed interest in Turner and the report says that the Sixers are willing to move the forward since they opted not to sign him to a contract extension. The deadline is still a bit of a ways off and the Bobcats are not said to be in "imminent" talks with the Sixers, but add them to the list of teams that could trade for Turner.
The Sixers previously selected Turner number two overall in the draft and he has been playing some of his best ball this season and there were reports from earlier in the year that the Sixers could deal Turner along with Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young. The team has some young talent in Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams and Hinkie has some money to work with over the next two summers if he makes the right moves at the deadline. The team is obviously years away from contending and reports from ESPN.com say the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks are interested in Turner as well.
Pro Basketball Talk has reported on the trade interest as well and they proposed some trades that could work for both sides and it includes Ben Gordon heading to Philly. The report says that one option could be moving Turner for Ben Gordon and one of the possible three first round picks the Bobcats have, suggesting the Blazers first round pick, as it is top 12 protected and not the top eight protected one they have from the Pistons. The team has its own pick, but if it ends up being outside of the top 10 it will go to the Chicago Bulls.
The Blazers pick is shaping up to be a late first rounder now and the Sixers want to bring in as many draft picks as possible and moving Turner for that pick likely would satisfy both sides, especially since Charlotte will almost certainly be keeping their pick. The other deal they suggest is for Jason Richardson in the deal as well for Gordon, but either way, the Sixers and their former number two pick are parting ways, it just will depend on whether the team gets anything for him or not.
