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Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner gave a hilarious reaction to not getting dealt at the trade deadline. Aside from trading James Wiseman, Indiana was pretty inactive over the past few days. Head coach Rick Carlisle's team will now look to continue climbing up the Eastern Conference standings as the current No. 4 seed.
Myles Turner has been instrumental in this franchise's rebirth over the past few seasons, so it's not surprising that Indiana had no intention of trading him. When the deadline passed, Turner tweeted out a hilarious reference to “Survivor.”
— Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) February 6, 2025
Myles Turner's chances of getting traded continue to go down every year
Even though he's only 28, the former Texas Longhorns' center is in his tenth year with the Indiana Pacers. And it feels like for at least five of those years, Turner was mentioned in trade talks. The hypothetical Myles Turner-Buddy Hield trade to the Lakers was floated to a very irritating extent. But the Pacers have stayed loyal to their franchise center.
Turner has repaid the organization with his consistent play throughout the years. Especially over the past few seasons, the Bedford, Texas native has really come into his own, increasing his scoring and rebounding averages. In addition, Turner has been a reliable rim protector for an improving Pacers defense.
One of the most encouraging recent signs for Indiana's center was his performance in last year's playoffs. During the Pacers ‘ surprising Eastern Conference Finals run, Turner averaged 17.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Now, expectations for Rick Carlisle's team are as high as they've been this decade. And after a middling start to the season, this team does seem to be gaining its footing.
In addition to Turner, power forward Pascal Siakam has been very reliable and was rewarded with his third All-Star appearance. Still, even though this team is 28-21 heading into the Clippers' clash, Indiana needs more consistency from star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. After a season that saw him named to the All-NBA team, Haliburton has not put up his usual production. But there is still time for Tyrese to regain the swagger he showed throughout last season and the playoffs.
Overall, the Pacers' lack of any significant moves at the deadline indicates that the front office has a lot of faith in this current roster. Indiana is already in a better spot than it was last year entering the playoffs, but that can change a lot over the next few months. Nevertheless, Myles Turner will be critical in preventing any of these potential slumps.