Pacers Insider Reportedly Said Team Didn't Want to 'Overpay' on Myles Turner in NBA FA
Myles Turner's deal with the Milwaukee Bucks came together in part because the Indiana Pacers didn't feel like the 29-year-old was worth the contract he wanted.
Per The Athletic's Sam Amick, Eric Nehm and Joe Vardon, one Pacers source said the team didn't want to "overpay" Turner in free agency knowing they were likely going to be without Tyrese Haliburton for the entire 2025-26 season as he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Turner wound up agreeing to a four-year, $107 million contract with the Bucks that will pair him with Giannis Antetokounmpo. NBA insider Jake Fischer noted Indiana's offers never exceeded three years and $60 million.
The Pacers' offer actually would have marked a slight pay cut by average annual salary for Turner, who just finished a two-year, $40.9 million contract ($20.45 million average annual salary).
For perspective, when Turner extended after a renegotiation in January 2023, the salary cap was $123 million that season. The cap for the 2025-26 season is $154.6 million.
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Thanks to their run to the Finals, there was an expectation the Pacers would keep Turner and pay into the luxury tax for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
Haliburton's injury changed everything about Indiana's outlook for next season. It also seems to have impacted how aggressive governor Herb Simon was going to be with the team's payroll.
There is an argument that the Pacers avoided a contract that might not look very good next season. Some of Turner's splits with and without Haliburton on the floor are jarring.
Per The Ringer's Michael Pina, Turner has made 39.6 percent of his three-point attempts over the past two seasons when Haliburton is on the floor. That number goes down to 29.9 percent with Haliburton off the floor.
One of the things that made the Pacers so unique and was evident throughout their playoff run is they built close to a perfect roster around their best player. Everyone fit what Haliburton did best and it carried them to Game 7 of the Finals.
The Pacers can make the argument they have been able to find and develop players as well as anyone in the NBA. Players like Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and T.J. McConnell might not play as well in another situation, but they look great in Indiana.
By the time Haliburton returns at full strength for the 2026-27 season, the Pacers might have found a player who is just as good as Turner.
It's a huge risk the Pacers are taking by letting their best defensive player walk without getting anything back in return, but their process of being frugal hasn't prevented them from being a top-tier contender in the Eastern Conference over the past two seasons.
