Indiana has locked in its future direction with contract extensions for Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam this summer, surrounding them with quality role players such as Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith and T.J. McConnell in a coach in Rick Carlisle designed up-tempo system. It worked well enough to get the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals a season ago.
Where does that leave Myles Turner, the center who is a free agent after this season? Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan told reporters he wants to keep them around (via Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star).
“We’re big believers in Myles,” Buchanan said. “We want him to be here…
“His development fits with our system,” Buchanan said. “He fit with our point guards. Fit with Pascal. You see how he seamlessly fits into the way we play.”
Turner was third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots a game last season, shooting 35.8% from 3 (spacing the floor for the drives of Haliburton and Siakam). He’s important to this team.
Turner will make $19.9 million this season (he’s not extension eligible off that because it was only a two-year contract. The Clippers Ivica Zubac just signed a three-year, $58.6 million extension this offseason, which averages out to about what Turner made this season, and the Pacers likely think that should set the market. Turner will want a healthy raise off that number.
The questions about Turner in Indiana hinge on this: Is Pacers ownership willing to pay the luxury tax? If so, how much? Indiana was under the tax last season, but Haliburton’s max extension kicks in this season, which is why they are right at the tax line (they can easily be sure to be under it by the end of the season). Give Turner a healthy raise going forward and the Pacers are a tax team.
Indiana also would be hard-pressed to find an available center who is a better fit in their system — Turner helps this team win.
Nothing can happen until after the season ends, when the Pacers have an exclusive window to negotiate with Turner (between whenever their playoff run ends and the start of free agency). That’s when things get interesting.
