The Indiana Pacers have made a miraculous run through the playoffs thus far. This can primarily be attributed to their core, featuring Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner. With Turner on the verge of becoming a free agent, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed that the Pacers are committed to re-signing the big man, even willing to spend the big bucks in luxury tax to do so.
While reporting for ABC’s “NBA Countdown”, Charania highlighted why the Pacers were showing such interest in re-signing Turner and said:
“We are talking about someone who has the most blocks in the Pacers franchise playoff history… He’s the longest tenured Pacer currently, and Indiana wants to keep it that way.”
“The Pacers know they cannot afford to lose him as a free agent,” Charania added, discussing the center’s potential extension. “There’s mutual interest in getting a deal done. But in doing so, I’ve been told the Pacers have determined that they will be entering the luxury tax next season for the first time in 20 years.”
“They want to keep this core intact, and to give this team a chance to make a real run, not only this season, but the next few seasons coming,” he mentioned. “Myles Turner is a big part of that, specifically on defense.”
With the Pacers making their first Finals appearance in almost 25 years, it is clear that this particular unit has something special, something worth preserving.
Turner’s influence on the team’s defensive integrity has been invaluable, something Charania noted while expressing how important this factor had been in limiting the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals to secure the win.
After putting up an average of 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game in the regular season, Turner has seen a mild increase in his defensive output, averaging 2.3 blocks per game in the playoffs.
The Pacers’ center has garnered a lot of attention in trade rumors as well as on the free agent market. At only 29 years old, Turner is a young and athletic center who can stretch the floor and offer terrific rim protection. From any angle, these traits make him an indispensable player for Indiana.
For his 10-year career, the big man has only played for the Pacers. During this time, the team saw incredible highs and lows – from the Paul George era to the current day iteration of one of the best Pacers’ teams in recent history.
With a young core that has the potential to form a dynasty, Indiana would do well to display their commitment to winning with this team. Although earlier rumors had seen the franchise show some hesitation owing to the center’s upcoming deal, the team is likely to switch up its stance on this. With Siakam and Haliburton secured, the next piece to ensure this will be re-signing Turner.
However, that will be a concern for the offseason. The current priority will be to come out on top against the Thunder to lift the NBA championship for the first time in franchise history.
