Just like nearly every offseason for his NBA career, Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner is on the trade block. Turner has found himself in rumors for years and it looked as it a trade would finally come to fruition ahead of the trade deadline, but then he injured his foot.
No team was going to acquire a player with an unknown timetable to return and their hesitancies ended up being true. Turner ended up missing the remainder of the regular season, which has led to more rumors during the offseason.
There were some discussions about the Pacers wanting to keep Turner so that they could see how he meshes with new starting point guard Tyrese Haliubrton. However, his impending free agency is complicating things.
According to Bob Kravitz of The Athletic, who made an appearance on Kevin and Query, that is actually one of the reasons the Pacers are trying to trade him. Kravitz also shared that Turner’s future likely isn’t going to be in Indiana.
“I have been told (not by Myles) that he is not interested in signing a contract extension to remain in Indianapolis…One of the reasons they are trying so hard to trade him, is they don’t want to lose him for nothing.”
If the team believes that to be true, trading Turner now makes the most sense. His value was very high during the regular season before the injury, as the Pacers were seeking two first-round picks or a first-round pick and young player.
While the price has dropped a little bit now, especially since he is on an expiring deal, Indiana should have no issues getting at least one draft pick or young player for him. The Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors are two teams that could still use some help at the center position.
A big reason that Turner may not have any interest in signing with the Pacers is what could be considered a low first-year salary. Indiana is limited to offer Turner only 120 percent of his $17.5 million salary, which means his deal would start at $21 million.
Based on how high the salary cap is going and his skill set, Turner could very easily find a contract that pays him more than that elsewhere in free agency. Deandre Ayton’s offer sheet with the Pacers was worth $33.25 million annually, so Turner should easily be able to clear $21 with his elite rim protection and strong 3-point shooting.
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