Myles Turner is going to stay a Pacer for the foreseeable future and all is right with the universe. The Pacers have a young core, Turner included, and are primed and ready to steadily improve in the coming years.
However, the Lakers had their chance to trade for Turner and Hield earlier this year, who both are having career years in nearly every statistical category. Yet, it appears that the ship has largely sailed given the Pacers have successfully worked out a two-year contract extension with the oft trade-rumored big man.
The Pacers made an excellent deal and will have a good basketball team with cap space to show for it in years to come. They have held onto enough cap space to go after a player like OG Anunoby to really complete the starting lineup.
A hidden bonus? The Lakers messed up big-time and the whole league knows it. It is looking more and more like they will waste the final years of LeBron’s career. And fans were brutal on twitter after the extension was announced this week.
Some fans of the NBA were reveling in Lakers fans still hoping for a trade:
The best thing about the Myles Turner extension is that because the Lakers lost tonight, their fans online are still, delusionally, talking about getting Turner in a trade.
— Julie (@juliecheka) January 29, 2023
When Lakers fans see the “Myles Turner signs extension with Pacers” headline followed by the “he’s still eligible to be traded” fine print. pic.twitter.com/ictOUUU3RG
— Robert Guerra (@TheProducerRG) January 28, 2023
#Lakers trade Russell Westbrook & both available #1s to #Pacers for Myles Turner (his extension makes him more appealing to LA) and Buddy Hield.
— Author Jameis1of1 (@jameis1of1) January 29, 2023
PG: Dennis/Bev/Reeves
SG: Hield/Lonnie//Christie
SF: LeBron James/Brown Jr.
PF: AD/Hachimura
C: Turner/Bryant
13-15: JTA/Gabriel/Jones pic.twitter.com/nNTWvh61E6
Other Indy fans were just happy that the Lakers were finally were realizing that their team is awful and that Turner won’t be headed to Los Angeles to save the day.
#Lakers fans when Myles Turner signed the extension pic.twitter.com/l0fW5ndYoq
— Indy Sports (@IndySports21) January 29, 2023
I tried telling ppl Myles Turner was gonna resign. Lakers fans in shambles rn 🤣
— T Bush (@tbush_26) January 28, 2023
Lakers fans after hearing Myles Turner signed an extension with the Pacers pic.twitter.com/bjrg1eII8d
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) January 29, 2023
Lakers crying before the game over the Myles Turner extension, and now they're crying about refs. Y'all right where you belong... at the bottom of the west.
— Zick (@IZick91) January 29, 2023
And Rob Pelinka took a lot of heat across the social media platform after the extension, with many saying that the lack of moving on Turner shows that the Lakers front office is entirely out of their league and totally inept.
Rob Pelinka is are a terrible GM. Turner paired with AD would have made for the best defensive C/PF combo in the league. Add in Lebron and the Lakers would be a legit contender this year and going forward. This is what happens when a team doesn’t have a pro player scouting dept. https://t.co/Zk9BgAu786
— Travis Stanford (@travishb) January 29, 2023
Never forget that Buddy Hield and Myles Turner were on a silver platter for Rob Pelinka
— Gorgeous Stranger (@GermainThe32) January 28, 2023
Pelinka blew the season when he didn't trade Russ for Hield and Turner, plain and simple.
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) January 29, 2023
With Pacers extending Turner all hopes of making the playoffs are dead. Thanks Robert Pelinka and Jeanie Buss. See you next season ig
— 👑 (@Kraljdzejms) January 28, 2023
Overall, Pacers fans should first and foremost be happy for Turner and the team who have put together an excellent short team deal that keeps Turner in Indy but also gets the man paid.
But always take a bit of happiness out of the fact that in our success is held the Lakers misery.