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<\/a><\/p>\nMILWAUKEE, WI – FEBRUARY 27: Myles Turner #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots a free throw during the game against the New York Knicks on February 27, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen\/NBAE via Getty Images). NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n
While it is true that I can\u2019t name more than a handful of centers who can hit three pointers more effectively than Myles Turner, I do not think this offensive quirk is enough to constitute a proper fit in the Utah Jazz offense. Much of my concerns with Turner stem from his physical weakness. This flaw isn\u2019t obvious while looking at his physical profile – he\u2019s 6\u201911, 250 LBs, and appears reasonably well-built – but makes itself very evident with any extended time watching his game. Combining the last two seasons, Turner is taking less than 20% of his shots near the rim, and this past season, in the minutes Giannis was on the bench and Turner was on the court, the Bucks attempted 4 less shots at the rim every 100 possessions. Additionally, Giannis-only lineups attempted more shots at the rim that Giannis+Turner lineups, and this trend extends for several years into the past. That number may not jump off the screen, but it is a huge swing for a single player to generate. Turner does not play with force (especially damaging as a center in a league once again becoming more physical), and that leads to his units not taking advantage of the most physical areas on the court. Additionally, this playstyle is harder to accommodate against elite defenses – versus the Thunder in the finals, Turner posted the 3rd worst shooting percentage in a finals series by a center post-merger, at 36.8% (credit @carsobi on Twitter for the stat). One series sample sizes aren\u2019t worth too much, but it is indicative of the type of offensive profile Turner has demonstrated his whole career.<\/p>\n
This is already a problem that I anticipate the Jazz to have. Jaren Jackson Jr. loves his floaters and short mid range jump-shots, and has a similar impact on his teams rim frequency (albeit less severe). Keyonte George has slimmed down across his NBA career and prefers operating from the perimeter without putting too much pressure on the rim. At least early on, Darryn Peterson will be too slight to strain defenses with his slashing. In a league where force is becoming a prerequisite amongst the contenders of the highest echelon, the Jazz are already lacking, and Turner would do nothing to but add another player who is not always looking to put consistent pressure on the defense.<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s not like Nurkic is leading a steam engine to the rim with his basket pressure, so what gives? Turner\u2019s poor offensive fit is compounded by two facts: he is a horribly poor offensive rebounder, and he doesn\u2019t bring any semblance of passing to a lineup. His rebounding woes are well documented – except for old man Brook Lopez, Turner posted the worst total rebounding percentage among centers who started any meaningful number of games, and that is buoyed significantly by a respectable enough defensive rebounding percentage. The possession battle is key to good offenses, and Turner is a detriment in that regard while Nurkic is a bit more positive. Second-chance opportunities off of offensive rebounds are some of the most efficient possessions in basketball, so while pulling them down isn\u2019t necessarily sexy, it is a guaranteed way to significantly bolster your overall offensive footprint. The Jazz already are lacking in this department (hopefully, Markkanen can once again be quietly pretty good at this at the small forward position), and likely cannot afford another significant negative at their center position.<\/p>\n
Finally, the playmaking. I sometimes feel like the only one worried that the Jazz are constructing a roster that is being marketed by fans as one with top-5-in-the-league potential, and yet has very few good passers. Keyonte is a plus, Collier is a plus, and Nurkic is a plus. The rest of the roster ranges from inconsequential to actively damaging distributors. This next year, Ace and Darryn and Lauri and Jackson and Svi and Hayes and Green and Okogie and Hinson will all clearly be at their best being set up by a playmaker. These guys are play finishers, who are valuable to have, but are an archetype that starts to bring in diminishing marginal returns ESPECIALLY if your team doesn\u2019t feature an all-world level playmaker. I anticipate Nurkic, once again, being a key hub in coach Hardy\u2019s system – he sets up shop on top of the key while the stars run in circles around the perimeter or cut to the basket. This system will do some to limit the heavy pressure that will already be put on Keyonte\u2019s shoulders, as well as allow Darryn Peterson to climatize to the offense in a more natural manner. I hesitate when I see proposals for lineups where Keyonte is the only passer who is better than the league-wide positional average, and I struggle even more when the players around him also can\u2019t create for themselves off the dribble. A team of Keyonte-Darryn-Lauri-Jackson-Turner is, on the surface, tantalizing (and would likely play many minutes together) – there are 5 strong shooters, and most are solid athletes. But when you really dive into how they would function together offensively, questions start to arise. Keyonte is the only above average passer. Keyonte is the only above average ballhandler (Jackson is close, but it isn\u2019t an uber-impressive skill either way). No one listed has shown the ability to consistently reach the basket and collapse the defense off of the dribble. That is 4 play-finishers and 1 playmaker who has playmaked positively for 1 season on a destitute roster. When the Jazz inevitably run into the Spurs or the Thunder (both of which are unavoidable if contention is the goal), the team will get torn to shreds without more positive decision makers on the floor next to George, and for that reason, I anticipate Nurkic\u2019s DHO offense being a sneakily-important option come playoff time. So yes, Turner\u2019s shooting is immediately appealing, but his flaws on offense overlap too harshly with flaws already present on the roster for me to be too excited about his fit in Utah.<\/p>\n
TLDR: Myles Turner is inefficient, doesn\u2019t take enough shots near the rim, is a poor passer and offensive rebounder, and amplifies the flaws already present on the roster. The shooting is cool, but doesn\u2019t make up for his deficiencies.<\/p>\n
2. Myles Turner does not fit what we need on defense<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 29: Jamir Watkins #5 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket as Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards plays defense during the game on January 29, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling\/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n This section will be shorter, because the problem is less damning. I have never been overly impressed with Myles Turner as a defender (he always seemed to me more of a shot-blocker than a paint-defender), but that does not mean he is bad. For most years of his career, his teams have been better defensively with Turner on the court. This was not true in either of the Pacer\u2019s deep playoff runs in 2024 and 2025, but I digress – Turner would not actively hurt the Jazz on defense.<\/p>\n However, due to his overlap with Jaren Jackson Jr., I think the fit of Turner on the Jazz defense is not worth the opportunity cost. Be it Steven Adams, or Zach Edey, or Jonas Valanciunas, the Grizzlies had the right idea – pair JJJ with a bruising interior presence to unlock the best version of him. I do not think Turner is that presence. I, once again, think back to his physical weakness. He is often unwilling to bash and brawl in the paint with the biggest and the baddest, and that is reflected in his poor rebounding numbers. Per my eyes, and despite his position, he functions less like a true defensive anchor and more like a shot-blocking roamer. That isn\u2019t, in a vacuum, a bad thing – Kevin Garnett and Andrei Kirilenko are two of my favorite defensive players ever, and they functioned similarly. Additionally, Myles Turner has been a positive defensive player in his career – I am not trying to deny that. However, I do not think the type of defensive player that Myles Turner is will support or magnify the type of defensive player that Jaren Jackson Jr. is. Combined this with the fact that I think other options more additive to JJJ will become available at some point on the trade market (I\u2019m looking at you Jarrett Allen), I think that trading for Turner would be too hasty a solution to Utah\u2019s defensive issues.<\/p>\n TLDR: Myles Turner is a good defensive player, but we should hold out for a good defensive player who is a better defensive fit.<\/p>\n 3. I do not want to pay Myles Turner in 2029<\/p>\n DETROIT, MI – APRIL 8: Myles Turner #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks arrives to the arena before the game against the Detroit Pistons on April 8, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and\/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler\/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n This point is short and simple. Myles Turner is 30 years old, and his birthday is in March. During any potential playoff run the Jazz will be on in 2029, Myles Turner will be 33 years old, and will be owed 29 million dollars. Historically, defensive big men display some of the worst longevity of any archetype in the league. If Turner plays anywhere near the level he did last season, his current contract appears to be an overpay, and considering his age, the contract could very well get worse before it becomes better. Above all else, I do not want to be attaching draft assets to move off of Myles Turner so we can pay our young guys when extension season comes up. This, combined with the fact that he isn\u2019t clearly additive to our current group of players, really make the trade idea risky in my mind.<\/p>\n 4. I do not like watching Myles Turner play basketball<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n