Myles Turner is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, and it is a no-brainer decision for the Indiana Pacers to do whatever they can to sign him to a new deal. Turner has stepped up big in the playoffs on both sides of the ball and is crucial to the Pacers' quest to win an NBA Championship.
Turner scored 23 and 21 points, respectively, in the last two games of the Milwaukee Bucks series. Additionally, he recorded 23 points and five blocks in Indiana's Game 2 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Turner is stepping up as a scorer when the team needs him most, and his performance is making it even more obvious that the Pacers need to re-sign him in the offseason.
Few big men can do it like Myles Turner
Turner is one of the most important players on Indiana's roster, and he has been for quite some time. He remains one of the best stretch bigs in the NBA and also provides elite rim protection. The most obvious reason the Pacers need Turner back is that they simply do not have an immediate replacement for him. There is nobody on the team who can replace Turner's impact, and there are likely no realistic external options for the Pacers either.
For a Pacers team that wins via strength in numbers, they cannot justify letting Turner walk for nothing in the offseason. The Texas native is their defensive anchor who provides immense value on the offensive side of the ball. Turner has some flaws, and he is far from a perfect center, but his pros significantly outweigh his cons. He is the perfect center for the Pacers' system, and letting him go in the summer would be a colossal mistake. Fortunately for Pacers fans, earlier reports have indicated that the Pacers want to bring their long-time big man back, but not without a caveat.
In March, NBA insider Brian Windhorst reported that the Pacers have interest in signing Turner to a new deal this offseason, but they are also unwilling to pay the luxury tax. This puts the Pacers in a bit of a predicament as it will be incredibly difficult for them to re-sign Turner and avoid the luxury tax. Regardless, no matter how it happens, the Pacers must bring Turner back.
Fortunately for the Pacers, they still have a little bit of time before they need to worry about Turner's free agency. They are currently up 2-0 in their series against the Cavaliers, and they are in a good spot to make it back to the conference finals. There is still a lot of basketball left for the Pacers to play, but as it stands, their dreams of bringing an NBA title to Indiana are becoming closer to reality, and a lot of that has to do with Turner and what he brings to the table.