Myles Turner is looking forward to playing with Bruce Brown next season. The big man told NBA reporter Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star that the guard will help the Pacers build a championship mindset since he won the 2023 title with the Denver Nuggets.
“I think we definitely got better,” Turner said. “We got that (NBA) championship mindset with Bruce Brown. He’s fresh off a ‘chip. He could have gone anywhere this summer and he chose to come here and build with this group. I was with (general manager Chad Buchanan) last night at the Nike Skills Academy in Portland and we just talked about the opportunity we have this year and a lot of that comes to being better on defense. I love what we did this summer. I think we got a lot more athletic. I think Tyrese (Haliburton) is going to thrive with this. … I love how fast we are.”
Brown signed a two-year, $45 million contract with the Pacers. He was an unrestricted NBA free agent after declining his 2023-24 player option with the Nuggets. The Miami product averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Nuggets in 2022-23 while shooting 48.3% from the field, 35.8% from beyond the arc and 75.8% from the free-throw line.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Myles Turner, Bruce Brown & Indiana Pacers Updates
In the 2023 NBA playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat, Brown put up 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. The Boston native averaged 11.4 points, 4.4 boards and 1.0 assists in the NBA Finals versus the Heat. Denver beat Miami in five games to capture its first NBA title in franchise history.
Brown has career NBA averages of 8.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists with the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets and Nuggets. He has improved his game every year he’s been in the NBA and it appears the Pacers really wanted to get him based on the lucrative offer they offered him.
It will be fascinating to see if Brown can help the Pacers get back to the NBA playoffs next season. It’s also going to be fun to watch Brown play with Tyrese Haliburton, who averaged 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists last season while shooting 49.0% from the floor, 40.0% from 3 and 87.1% from the free-throw line.
Haliburton and the Pacers agreed to a five-year extension worth up to $260 million this offseason. Indiana was never going to let Haliburton become a restricted NBA free agent next summer.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Myles Turner, Bruce Brown & Indiana Pacers Updates
Turner will make $20.9 million next season. He signed a two-year, $58 million extension with the Pacers in January 2023. The 27-year-old has career NBA averages of 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.3 blocks. He will have made over $140 million in his career once his current NBA contract ends.
Want the latest in NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
