The Indiana Pacers are still making moves, but not quite like what you may have expected. This one, in particular, seems to be a decision made for stability purposes for the future.
Friday was a good day to pick up the fourth-year option for center Myles Turner and also the third year option for second-year forward Domantas Sabonis, according to an Associated Press report via USA TODAY Sports.
The 21-year old Turner is an important piece to the Pacers' rebuilding process and has shown himself to be a premier up and coming big man. He averaged 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks on 51.1 percent shooting and a surprising 34.8 percent clip from beyond the arc.
Sabonis, who was traded to the Pacers in the deal from the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire Paul George, is looking to make his mark in the league after a single season coming from off the bench as a rookie. He averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game on 39.9 percent shooting and a modest 32.1 percent from beyond the arc to boot. The Pacers should be a more complimentary team where Sabonis can establish his own identity and help a young team grow in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
Along with some of his teammates and coaches, Myles Turner is apparently a huge believer in Domantas Sabonis and gave him a great endorsement speaking with NBA.com's Mark Montieth.
“I told you all from the jump he's going to come out here and surprise everybody. I didn't know how tall he was, and how strong he was. When I started playing with him I saw how skilled he was and the touch he had around the basket.”
Sabonis, who has a $3.5 million team option after this season, seems to have already begun making a huge impression before even playing a regular season game for the city, and expectations for him to improve will only grow, and a chance for both players to have a breakout season.
Follow Us
Subscribe