What Happened With Myles Turner And The Pacers?

NBA Finals Game 6 pregame: Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder in Indianapolis — **Source: Anadolu / Getty**

Before the NBA Finals, it seemed like a sure bet that the Indiana Pacers would go into the luxury tax and try and bring back most (if not all) of its 2024-25 roster to make another run at a title.

Oh, how quickly things can change.

Clearly, the Achilles injury Tyrese Haliburton suffered in Game 7 of the Finals altered the Pacers plans. Now they get to watch the longest-tenured player on the roster, someone who had been the topic of trade rumors for years, walk away for nothing to a hated rival. It’s fair to wonder if there are more departures on the horizon; after all, Pascal Siakam will be 32 when Haliburton returns, and T.J McConnell will be 34. Could they be on the way out as well?

Regardless of what the future holds, it is shocking to see such a longtime member of the organization finally leave after just going to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. During the Tuesday edition of The Ride With JMV, Kevin Pelton of ESPN joined the show to provide some insight into what happened between Turner and the Pacers.

“My sense is that the report at the start of the Finals, that the Pacers were willing to go into the tax to re-sign Turner, you knew that that was what it was inevitably going to take even if it wasn’t clear that there was going to be an offer like this coming for him from another team…I would have to imagine that Myles Turner was in communication with the Bucks and that staying with the Pacers would have been his preference, so my guess is that it’s more likely the number and just not wanting to go into the tax, that combination where it probably would have cost them another rotation contributor. So, the question is sort of would you rather then have Myles Turner on this deal, or have the existing group plus whatever center you can sign using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.”

Listen to Best of JMV down below, where you can hear JMV, Kevin Pelton, Evan Sidery and Greg Rakestraw react to the Myles Turner news, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!