Myles Turner Thanks Pacers Fans After Bucks Contract in NBA FA, 'Absolute Privilege'

Myles Turner's run with the Indiana Pacers came to an end earlier this month when he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency.

On Thursday, he penned his farewell to the city he's called home for his entire career.

In a social media post, he thanked fans, teammates and coaches, highlighted some of the things he's been through with the team and shouted out some of his favorite local businesses.

"To Pacers fans - it's been an absolute privilege to play at Bankers Life/Gainbridge Fieldhouse… you've been loyal through it all," Turner wrote. "You packed the Fieldhouse, rocked with us on the road, lifted me when I needed it most, and held me accountable when I needed that too. Man… I've damn near spent more time with y'all than I've gotten to spend with my own family over the years. That's real love, and I can't thank you enough for embracing me from day one."

A first-round pick out of Texas, Turner joined the Pacers in 2015 and quickly established himself as a mainstay of the roster. While he never rose to stardom, his impact was felt every time he stepped on the court for Indiana.

The Pacers made the playoffs in each of Turner's first five seasons, but experienced a few down years, missing the postseason from 2021 to 2023. Things got better two years ago when the team made a push to the conference finals, and Indiana at long last reached the NBA Finals last season, coming up short against the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games.

Across his 10 seasons with the Pacers, Turner averaged 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, leading the league in rejections twice.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Turner wanted to stay in Indiana this offseason, but "believed he was getting below market value offers from the Pacers." The Bucks signed Turner to a four-year, $107 million deal, waiving star point guard Damian Lillard to do so.

The move left Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard "shocked."

"I was shocked. If I'm being perfectly honest, again, I thought we were kind of going back and forth in an open way," Pritchard told reporters Monday. "We've done big deals with that agency, and they're great guys and we'll be doing more business with them. But Myles must've heard something in that (Bucks offer) that said, 'I'm gonna take it right now.'"

Throughout Turner's tenure in Indiana, he often found himself mixed in trade rumors, so much so that he joked about surviving this year's trade deadline. Ultimately, he left the Pacers on his own terms.

In Milwaukee, he'll join a Bucks team facing a lot of uncertainty this offseason. The team is still waiting to see whether star Giannis Antetokounmpo will request a trade, and whether or not he does will likely impact how they approach the upcoming season.

If Antetokounmpo decides to stay, he and Turner will look to keep the team in the mix for a title following Lillard's exit.