Will the Pacers finally deem Myles Turner “untouchable” in trade talks?

It has almost been an annual tradition for the Indiana Pacers to be on the verge of dangling away Myles Turner out of town with all the limitless trade rumors flung the big man’s way left and right — be it in the offseason or in the middle of the campaign. That, however, can turn out to be a flipped narrative in the upcoming summer.

With the longtime Pacer turning in what’s easily his best season yet since being drafted by the team in 2015 in tandem with a brand new contract extension, this could finally be the offseason where fans can rest easy about the franchise’s commitment with Turner.

Now, we ask — will the Pacers brass finally consider Turner as an “untouchable” piece in potential trade talks this summer?

Career-year for Myles Turner could make him an “untouchable” for the Indiana Pacers

Having followed the Indiana Pacers all year, it’s inarguable that the franchise has been unerring in its commitment to having Myles Turner in the Circle City as one of the team’s core players. For the sake of clearing the air, the front office is extremely unlikely to initiate any sort of trade momentum involving him — and even that is euphemism for what is perhaps a resounding “will not”.

However, notwithstanding the Pacers’ position with Turner, the big man will nonetheless be a magnet for teams looking to upgrade in the offseason. After logging a career-year which saw him register per-game averages of 18 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks on 54.8 percent shooting from the field, including a remarkable 37.3 shooting clip from downtown, the 27-year-old solidified himself as the league’s archetype for the modern 3-and-D center.

The previous Myles who was better in theory than in practice already galvanized a bevy of trade shenanigans. One can only imagine the domino effect that the current Myles can have on the trade market if he ever becomes available.

Fortunately, Indiana will not be the force behind any hypothetical Turner availability. At this point, it would be foolish for the Pacers to not brand him as an untouchable — not unless wicked sorcery somehow brews up a scenario where a team trades a better player at his position for his services or the holder of the No. 1 pick decides they want to hijack their franchise. Put bluntly, those things are not happening.

On the tails of a season where the Indiana Pacers finally saw the version of Myles Turner we all knew he can be, there’s absolutely no realistic reason for the franchise to reprise its annual Russian Roulette with the big man’s future. Their anchor should be here to stay, just as he has always been despite the flickers and almosts.