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Myles Turner is entering Year 10 of his career, and yet here he remains as a member of the Indiana Pacers. Turner, for what feels like his entire career, has been at the forefront of trade rumors aplenty, but he appears to be off the market for now with the Pacers having blossomed into one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Starting centers who can space the floor and protect the rim are worth their weight in gold, and Turner no longer has the pressure on him to be anything more than that now that Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam have taken the reigns for the Pacers on offense. But his lengthy stay on the trade block has left such a mark on him that he still doesn't feel like he has a long-term future in Indiana.
“I can’t help but laugh. I’m gonna keep it a stack. Every year at Indiana has been a contract year at this point, whether you’re fighting rumors or staying true to your grind and what not. I don’t really feel too much different,” Turner said, per Indystar (subscription required) via HoopsHype.
Turner is in the middle of another literal contract year, so once again, there is pressure for him to play his role for the Pacers to a T. Regardless, he has become less expendable now that the Pacers are winning again, and it makes total sense for Indiana to come to terms to an extension with him sooner than later.
Still only 28 years old, Turner should have plenty of productive years in front of him. The Pacers don't exactly have a ready-made replacement for him in the event of a trade or a departure from him in free agency, so expect Indiana to lock Turner up to a long-term contract extension within the upcoming season.
Myles Turner is a crucial member of the Pacers' pace-and-space roster
Myles Turner has never been a typical big man for the Pacers. He's not quite adept at holding his own at the boards, while he's not the most physical big man when it comes to scoring in the post. But he opens up a five-out offense for the Pacers; as one would recall, Indiana was running on a historically-great offensive pace to begin the 2023-24 season, with Turner playing a huge part in that.
The Pacers' playoff starting lineup (Turner, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith) had an impressive net rating of +14.1 in 288 minutes played against tough teams such as the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Milwaukee Bucks. That five-man combination has the right blend of playmaking, tough-shot making off the bounce, as well as speed, allowing them to go out and play at a breakneck pace to spread the opposition thin.
Behind Turner, the Pacers do have some solid center depth, but it's not as if they can replicate what the 28-year-old brings to the table. Isaiah Jackson is more in the mold of a traditional rim-running center, and he provides no floor-spacing value whatsoever. Obi Toppin can run some small-ball five, but he's not the rim protector Turner is. James Wiseman is a versatile scoring option at the five, but his all-around defense is suspect.
Simply put, Turner's importance to the team cannot be matched by his competitors for minutes, which should make his place on the Pacers roster safe — at least for now.
