Letting Myles Turner Walk Was Best Decision Pacers Ever Made

After reaching the 2025 NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers entered an offseason filled with all sorts of questions.

The biggest for them was whether the team would re-sign star center Myles Turner . After all, Turner had been one of the catalysts for the organization for many years, and there was all sorts of speculation that he would return.

So when Turner signed a massive four-year, $108.9 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks , it came as a surprise to many people. But it was due to Turner feeling disrespected by the Pacers in negotiations.

Indiana had some hesitancy to hand him a large contract, even with all the success that he had seen with the franchise. And as it turns out, this was the correct move by the Pacers.

Turner's first season with the Bucks was nothing short of a disaster. The veteran big man put up the lowest points, rebounds, and blocks per game since his rookie season.

Overall, Turner averaged 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game, seeing 71 games on the court. This could have been due to him being in a new system, but Turner's play didn't justify the large contract he had signed.

Indiana dodged a bullet by lowballing Turner, but they may have seen something that nobody else did. There was a reason why the franchise didn't just easily hand Turner the money, especially after a run to the NBA Finals.

Turner could have a great second season with the Bucks, but he isn't getting any younger, with him now being 30-years-old. Milwaukee is also entering into somewhat of a rebuild, and after years of underperforming with the Pacers on the court, Turner may not be willing to stick around for that.

Indiana didn't immediately replace Turner last offseason, choosing to enter the season without a long-term answer. But the team did trade for Ivica Zubac , giving them a top option for the upcoming season.

Somehow, the Pacers still got something of value for Turner, even if it was not paying him over $25 million a season. Losing a player who meant so much to the franchise was tough, but the Pacers made the correct decision.

While at the time, the decision to allow Turner to walk was a big risk, it turned out to be the best move that the franchise could have made. The Pacers will enter the new 2026-27 season with renewed hope for a title run , and getting star guard Tyrese Haliburton back from injury should help everything.