Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner has had quite a roller coaster NBA offseason. His name has once again circulated in trade rumors, which is nothing new for him. Turner has gotten to know the trade block well as he has been mentioned as a trade candidate for years.
It is something that he has learned to accept and become numb to this offseason. He accomplished that during his trip to Africa, where he disconnected and focused on developing his spiritual connection.
That trip has seemingly helped him in numerous ways. He can take the things he learned about himself into the NBA season and onto the court as well, as the 2022-23 campaign is a very important one for the Texas product.
Turner is on an expiring contract as he is heading toward unrestricted free agency in 2023. With the salary cap projected to continue rising, players are going to have a great chance to cash in as free agents with more money to be spent.
Given his skill set, Turner is looking at a lucrative contract. He is an elite rim protector, leading the league in blocks three times in his career. His shooting ability is something teams crave from the center position now as everyone is on the lookout for spacing from every position.
As one NBA scout put it, Turner has a major opportunity this season to set himself up for a monster contract next summer. If he remains in Indiana, the pieces are in place for him to truly breakout.
“Obviously we don’t know how all the trade stuff will play out. If Turner stays a Pacer, he’s got a big opportunity. He has never had a playmaker like Haliburton, and he’ll be in Carlisle’s offense. That sounds like a great situation for a guy like Turner who can step out and shoot and also finish with efficiency in the paint. … No longer primarily spacing out while another big is deployed in ball screen actions and DHOs should make a big difference for his usage, too.”
Playing alongside Tyrese Haliburton has consistently been one of the things reported as to why the Pacers want to hold onto Turner. They believe he would be a great fit alongside the young guard who was acquired from the Sacramento Kings in the Domantas Sabonis trade.
Alongside Sabonis, Turner was relegated to standing around the perimeter and mostly shooting 3-pointers. With Jalen Smith now occupying the power forward spot, Turner will be presented with the opportunity to expand his offensive repertoire by doing more than just shooting 3-pointers.
That will set him up for what could be a career season offensively, which would result in a major payday as a free agent.
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