Myles Turner Faces Crucial Free Agency Decision With Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers are at a pivotal point as they approach free agency this summer. Starting center Myles Turner, a key player with the team for a decade, will become an unrestricted free agent once the Pacers’ playoff run concludes. His current contract, valued at $19.9 million per year, is set to expire.

The Pacers’ management hopes to retain Turner. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported last week that ownership is willing to increase spending next season and possibly revisit the luxury tax to maintain their core group of players. Turner, who is 29 years old, struggled in the latest game, recording just five points and two rebounds. However, he had a solid performance earlier in the playoffs, averaging 15.5 points on 53.7 percent shooting in the first four games of the Eastern Conference Finals.

This season, Turner played 72 games, averaging 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and two blocked shots per game. Notably, he also achieved a career-high 39.6 percent shooting from three-point range. All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton has a contract that runs through 2029, following a significant extension worth up to $260 million in 2023. Other starters, including Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith, are also signed through multiple seasons, according to Spotrac.

Despite the Pacers’ internal hopes to keep Turner while maintaining their depth, rival teams remain skeptical. Windhorst noted that opponents have witnessed the Pacers’ historical reluctance to incur luxury tax penalties, and they are closely monitoring the Turner situation.

Additionally, former Knicks forward Obi Toppin is also locked in through 2028, and Bennedict Mathurin, a former lottery pick, is eligible for an extension this summer after the team exercised his $9.18 million option for next season. Turner’s backup, Thomas Bryant, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The team holds a $2.9 million option on Tony Bradley, a reserve big man.