Pacers Surprised by Myles Turner’s Departure
The Indiana Pacers’ president of basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard, revealed that the team was “fully prepared” to enter the luxury tax in order to retain their starting center, Myles Turner. The Milwaukee Bucks’ offer to sign him took the Pacers by surprise. Turner, an unrestricted free agent this summer, agreed to a four-year contract with the Bucks. Milwaukee generated the necessary salary cap space to sign him, which surprised Indiana.Turner had played his first 10 seasons in the league with Indiana and recently helped the team reach its first NBA Finals in 25 years. However, a devastating Achilles tendon injury that will cost star Tyrese Haliburton the entire 2025-26 season in Game 7 of the Finals, raised doubts about Indiana’s willingness to enter the luxury tax for Turner’s extension.We were negotiating in good faith. It was a little surprising how Milwaukee created cap space. We always say in our conference room, there are teams with cap space, and there are teams in the shadows with cap space. It becomes very challenging when buying or making trades and congratulations to Milwaukee for doing it.
Kevin Pritchard, Pacers President of Basketball Operations
Finally, Turner reached a $107 million agreement with Milwaukee, which includes a player option in the fourth year and a full 15% trade bonus. After this, Indiana focused on acquiring backup center Jay Huff from the Memphis Grizzlies.Know this, that Herb Simon and Steven Rales and the Simon family were completely prepared to go deep into the tax to keep him. We really wanted to do it, and we were negotiating in good faith. But what happens in this league is that sometimes you’re negotiating, but because a player is unrestricted, he has the right to say, ‘That’s the offer I want. I’m going to take it and that’s what’s best for my family’.
Kevin Pritchard, Pacers President of Basketball Operations
