The Indiana Pacers lost Myles Turner in free agency this summer to the Milwaukee Bucks, but based on a conversation Keith Smith of Spotrac had with one of their front office executives, they don’t plan on stewing in the frustration of the loss.
“It’s tough. Myles was so important to everything we’ve been over the last decade. But we have to be smart, both right now and the future,” a Pacers front office executive told Smith. “We feel like we used our assets well to get center options in the building that can help us continue to be a really good team.”
Losing Turner is a brutal loss, especially considering what he meant to the organization, but life goes on. And the Pacers have to as well.
What are the Pacers doing post-Myles Turner?
Turner inked a four-year, $107 million contract with the Bucks in free agency. He’ll now join the Pacers’ bitter rivals (at least, for the last few years), teaming up with Giannis Antetokounmpo in the wake of the team waiving Damian Lillard, a very controversial decision.
However, the Pacers have already begun the process of trying to replace what Turner brought to the table in Indiana. (Even though next year will look weird with Tyrese Haliburton out due to an Achilles injury.)
The Pacers traded for Jay Huff, who could be a sneaky replacement option for Turner. Though he has never come close to putting up the same numbers, he’s a very efficient three-point shooter, and his interior defense is solid. But he’s not all the Pacers added.
Indiana also extended Isaiah Jackson, who missed most of last season with an Achilles injury of his own. They handed him a three-year, $21 million extension, and he’ll likely have the chance to play big minutes, now that Turner is gone.
Meanwhile, James Wiseman will also be back in town after his Achilles injury. (What a brutal trend for Indiana.) The Pacers signed him to a two-year, $5.7 million deal, and, like Jackson and Huff, he’ll almost certainly have the chance to play significant minutes.
Add in the potential development of Jarace Walker, and the Pacers have built out a solid big-man rotation in the wake of Turner’s absence this summer.
Losing a guy like Turner will always be rough, especially when nothing is coming back in return. The Pacers (ironically) never traded Turner. He just walked in free agency.
However, while it’s okay to be upset or even a little frustrated, there’s no point in dwelling on it. That’s the mindset the Pacers have taken.