The Indiana Pacers have to make a decision over how and if they are going to be able to retain Myles Turner .
The Indiana Pacers are in the midst of yet another stellar season as a top-four team in the Eastern Conference (43-30). As they move towards the NBA Playoffs, a critical offseason looms that will dictate the future of their franchise center.
With his two-year, $60 million contract set to expire at the end of this season, Myles Turner is slated to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.
The Pacers would love to retain his service. But securing the nod of the big man would come at a cost, and possibly a sacrifice.
Rumors began surround Myles Turner ahead of the mid-season trade deadline.
Bearing in mind he was set to free agency, there were reports that Indiana, hesitant to meet Turner’s demands, were considered trading the center.
In the end the Pacers sensibly decided to keep the big man, preferring to focus first on this season, where Turner can still play a big role.
Keeping Turner long-term presents a huge challenge for the Pacers financially. Brian Windhorst of ESPN noted that Indiana has to jump through some hoops just to pull it off.
“Team sources told me the Pacers absolutely want to keep Turner, who is closing in on his 700th game for the franchise,” Windhorst explains. “But Indiana has to manage a cash crunch.
“They are currently projected to be about $22 million below next season’s luxury tax without Turner, and he’ll probably be looking for a significant raise on his current $19.9 million salary.
“The Pacers haven’t paid the luxury tax since 2005, and there are no plans to go into it next season, sources said.
“Keeping Turner is going to require some negotiating and some maneuvering.”
Turner has been a part of the Pacers’ plans since they drafted the big man with the 11th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. He played a pivotal part in the team’s improbable East Finals run last 2023-24, and if they are to at least match that success this season, he will have to step up again.
The 29-year-old is averaging 15.5 points to go with 6.6 boards in 30.6 minutes for 65 matches thus far this regular season. He maintained his role as the team’s defensive anchor, tallying 1.9 rejections per game.
Meanwhile, he is experiencing his best shooting season as a Pacer, registering a career-best 40.2 percent efficiency from beyond the arc (per 2.2 attempts).
They are about to enter the prime stage of their title contention route with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, and the Pacers have to do whatever it takes to convince Turner to continue with them.
