Myles Turner breaks silence after shocking Pacers departure

After 10 seasons with the team, Myles Turner left the Indiana Pacers and signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in a stunner. Heading into the offseason, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Turner would remain in Indiana, but this was not the case.

A little over a week after the news broke, the Texas native took to social media to share a message to the Pacers organization and fans. In his message, Turner called it "an absolute privilege" to play for the Pacers, and he called the city of Indianapolis "special."

Though there have been some gut-wrenching updates regarding Turner's negotiations with the Pacers, one thing is certain: this is a tough loss for the team. Turner had been with the Pacers since they drafted him in 2015, and despite being named heavily in trade rumors throughout his tenure with the team, he stuck around through the good and the bad. Additionally, while he had a poor NBA Finals run last season, he was a big reason they made it in the first place. He was crucial to Indiana's recent success, and his departure might impact the team for a very long time.

Myles Turner's exit leaves a lot of uncertainty in Indiana

Now that Turner is officially gone, the Pacers have to decide what is next for their center position. Turner is a fantastic stretch big and rim protector, and the Pacers were always going to have a difficult time replacing that this offseason. They have a few options, but none of them are ideal. Indiana traded for Jay Huff, re-signed James Wiseman, and exercised Tony Bradley's team option. The team also extended a qualifying offer to Isaiah Jackson, who is the early favorite to take over as their next starting center.

The Pacers have a lot of solid options at center, but none of them are great. As it stands, it seems like they will likely let the offseason roll into training camp and the preseason and see which player stands out the most.

Each big man Indiana currently has rostered provides intrigue in their own way, and they all provide some level of value. However, the Pacers are not likely to enter the season with four centers. Plus, Enrique Freeman, who played small-ball center last year, may be another name to keep an eye on. The offseason is still young, and other moves could happen, but this is likely where the Pacers are going to stay moving forward.

With next year most likely being a gap year, the Pacers can experiment a little bit and not feel the pressure of competing. They might be good enough to make the playoffs again, but another NBA Finals appearance is highly unlikely. Because of this, they have a unique opportunity next season.

Once Tyrese Haliburton returns from his Achilles injury, the Pacers will be able to re-establish themselves as legitimate title threats. However, until then, they will need to determine how they will replace their long-time big man. It is going to be difficult, if not impossible. Even so, the Pacers have shocked the basketball world before, and they can do it again.