Rick Carlisle Says Myles Turner Was 'Significant Loss' for Pacers After Bucks Contract

Indiana Pacers president Kevin Pritchard told reporters on Tuesday that the organization was "fully prepared to go deep into the tax" to re-sign center Myles Turner and didn't directly answer whether it was ever given the chance to match Milwaukee's four-year, $108.8 million offer.

On Wednesday, head coach Rick Carlisle further spoke on the situation and the loss of Turner.

"Losing Turner is a significant loss for our team," he said on Yote House Media's Green Light with Chris Long. "I mean the guy's been a terrific player. He had a great season. We were talking to [his agent] about him returning, and really kind of out of nowhere Milwaukee decided to waive Damian Lillard and stretch his contract money out over [five years]. And then they created space to sign Myles. I think what probably happened—and this is part of negotiation in any sport—a team will say, 'Look, we have this offer, it's this much over this many years, but if we make this offer we need to know that you're going to take it and not shop it.' I believe that's what probably happened with Milwaukee. They just jumped at it and there was never a chance to counter. Those things happen, and when they do, you just gotta keep going."

It was a brutal departure on a number of fronts. The Pacers will already be without Tyrese Haliburton for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, and Turner's exit further weakens the team. But he also left for the Bucks, who have become bitter rivals with the Pacers in recent years. In that regard, it was a double whammy.

Whether his addition is enough to catapult Milwaukee back into the realm of contenders remains to be seen. But it was certainly another important entry into one of the NBA's budding rivalries.