5 trades to land James Harden a co-star on the Houston Rockets

3. Myles Turner

The Indiana Pacers are in a weird spot. They may want to start competing for a playoff spot, but this could be a great chance to reset even more and add more young pieces.

Myles Turner may not be the first name most people think of when they think of a star, but he played like one (and got paid like one) this past season. He’d be a perfect fit next to James Harden.

Not only could Turner space the floor for Harden at the center position, but he would also be able to hold down the paint on the defensive end as one of the best shot-blockers in the league.

Buddy Hield would fill in as an elite sharpshooter next to Harden, spacing the floor on the wing, while Chris Duarte would simply act as solid wing depth in Houston.

For the Pacers, this would be their chance to reshape the roster around Tyrese Haliburton, adding Alperen Sengun to be the potential second star in Indiana.

The fourth pick is obviously super valuable, too, and Kevin Porter Jr. would be an intriguing piece for them to look at the guard position.

The value in this deal is admittedly a bit funky. Houston could feel as though they could get a better package for Sengun and the fourth pick, and the Pacers may prefer to send out Turner and Hield in separate trades (or simply keep them).

That being said, a trade along these lines could help both squads head in the right direction, especially considering how well-rounded Houston’s lineup would become.

Potential starting lineups:

Rockets: James Harden, Buddy Hield, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Myles Turner

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Benedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, Jalen Smith, Alperen Sengun