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INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers pulled off one more bold move before Thursdays trading deadline. Less than three weeks after signing Andrew Bynum, Indiana sent Danny Granger and a 2015 second-round draft pick to Philadelphia in exchange for former first-round pick Evan Turner and forward Lavoy Allen. The teams confirmed the deal late Thursday after the NBAs league office approved it. The draft pick originally belonged to Golden State. Yahoo! Sports first reported the trade. Indiana now adds two young forwards -- players who could help them as they attempt to dethrone two-time defending NBA champion Miami and finally win their first NBA title. But they had to give up Granger, a fan favourite who was once considered the face of the franchise. "We thank Danny for his 8 1/2 seasons with us and we appreciate everything he did for us in his time here," president of basketball operations Larry Bird said in a statement. "We felt we needed to make this trade to strengthen the core unit and our bench. In Evan and Lavoy, we think we got two really good players that can help us and we look forward to what they can bring." What the rebuilding 76ers are getting is 30-year-old forward who missed all but five games last season with a knee injury and almost the first two months of this season with a strained left calf. Granger, who led Indiana in scoring for the five straight seasons before his knee injury, also has an expiring contract, and Philadelphia will get another pick in a draft many believe will be rife with talent. The trade also could help teams on both ends of the NBAs spectrum. Indiana has now picked up three former 76ers this month -- Bynum, Turner and Allen -- in an effort to add more scoring punch for their expected playoff showdown with Miami. The Pacers already have the best record in the East (41-13) and lead the Heat by two games in the chase for home-court advantage. Philadelphia, meanwhile, went into Thursday with the second-worst record in the league at 15-40 and now appears poised to make a run at surpassing Milwaukee for the worst mark in the NBA. In a flurry of moves, the 76ers picked up a handful of draft picks, a few veterans and lost two of their top four scorers. Turner, a 6-foot-7 guard, was the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2010 after winning college basketballs player of the year award. He was averaging a team-high 17.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists and could become a free agent after this season. He has averaged of 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in 3 1/2 NBA seasons. Granger was averaging 8.3 points since returning from a strained left calf in mid-December, but he has career averages of 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He played in the 2009 All-Star Game and was voted the leagues Most Improved Player in 2008-09. The 76ers also sent Spencer Hawes, their top rebounder, to Cleveland earlier in the day. He was averaging 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in the final year of his contract. But Philadelphia certainly loaded up on second-round picks. In addition to getting Indianas choice, the 76ers also acquired two second-round picks, forward Earl Clark and centre Henry Sims in the deal with Cleveland and added guard Eric Maynor from Washington in a three-way deal that netted a 2016 second-round pick from Denver and a 2015- second-round pick from New Orleans. And the usually cost-conscious Pacers now look like they are loading up on big bodies for the playoffs. Theyve added the 7-foot Bynum, a former All-Star who missed all of last season in Philly because of knee injuries. This season, he signed with Cleveland as a free agent before getting traded to Chicago and then released. Indiana signed Bynum on Feb. 1 and though he has not played, coach Frank Vogel said he didnt expect Bynum to play for a few weeks. Allen, a 6-foot-9, 255-pound forward, was averaging 5.2 points and 5.4 rebounds with Philadelphia. To clear room on the roster, Indiana waived Orlando Johnson, a second-year guard they obtained in a draft night trade in 2012. "Orlando is a great kid," said Bird. "We appreciate everything hes done for us and hope he has a long and successful career." Tyler Bertuzzi Jersey . -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. Chris Chelios Jersey . Mako Vunipola was promoted from the reserves, with Matt Mullan called up to the bench on Thursday. "It is important that Joe is with his partner at this exciting time," England coach Stuart Lancaster said. http://www.redwingshockeyauthentic.com/vladimir-konstantinov-jersey/ .Y. - Matt Harvey wants to make sure hes on the mound in late October — if the New York Mets get there for the first time since 2006. Frans Nielsen Jersey . -- The Detroit Lions made it crystal clear to Golden Tate that he was their top target in free agency. Ted Lindsay Red Wings Jersey .C. - Nick Merkley and Damon Severson each had a goal and two assists as the Kelowna Rockets downed the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds 6-3 on Saturday in Western Hockey League playoff action.ATLANTA -- The Big Easy, Naptown or the Twin Cities. Thats the choice facing NFL owners when they vote Tuesday on the site of the 2018 Super Bowl, choosing among New Orleans, Indianapolis and Minneapolis. Each city has hosted the big game, albeit just once for Indy and Minny. New Orleans has staged 10 Super Bowls, tied with South Florida for the most. Most recently, the 2013 game was delayed 38 minutes by a blackout at the Superdome. Despite that power problem, New Orleans is considered a favourite to be chosen by the 32 owners as the city celebrates its 300th year. A three-quarters majority is required for passage. Saints owner Tom Benson recently had minor knee surgery, but the 86-year-old Benson is expected to attend the meetings. Colts owner Jim Irsay is taking part in league business for the first time since his arrest for having $29,000 in cash and bottles of prescription drugs in his car. Irsay has been undergoing treatment and the owners meetings is Irsays first public appearance since the arrest. "Its just good to be back and good to be able to put an effort into regaining the Super Bowl," Irsay said. "I really feel we did such an incredible job the first time." Irsay declined to comment on whether he would address the other owners about his personal situation. Only the Vikings will present a brand new stadium in their bid, a $1 billion indoor facility scheduled to open in 2016. "Were going to celebrate winter. And we should, because we do it well -- better than anyone," said Richard Davis, co-chair of the Minneapolis bid committee. "Were going to talk to the owners about how its about time that the NFL brought Americas game around the country, like a caravan, and started taking it out from the Southern states and bring it around to the rest of the world.dddddddddddd We should be the first." Actually, the game was held in New Jersey this year -- the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather site. Indianapolis was highly praised for its Super Bowl in 2012, when the Giants beat the Patriots. The city has a history of staging big events and will host the Final Four next spring at Lucas Oil Stadium. The NFL always has favoured bringing its title game to New Orleans, and the appeal of warmer weather in Louisiana than in the other bidding cities could be a factor. Next years game is in Arizona, and the 50th Super Bowl will be in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 2017 game is set for Houston. Also on the agenda, although no vote is certain, will be expanding the playoffs from 12 teams to 14. That proposal was discussed at the league meetings in Orlando in March. Commissioner Roger Goodell has said its still possible such a change could happen this year if it is voted on and passed in Atlanta. More likely, 2015 would be the target date for expanded playoffs. "Were being very deliberate about it," Goodell said. "We want to make sure we do it in the right way." Goodell also has been championing improved workplace environments in the wake of the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal. Owners will talk about that issue on Tuesday. "You never want to see any story that reflects on that we dont have the right workplace environment," Goodell said. "Weve redoubled our efforts to make sure we provide the right environment ... for everybody in the NFL." ' ' '