After a decade, the Pacers should have known how tough replacing Myles Turner would be. Well, maybe they did know — but they didn't act like it over the summer, when their best offer to Turner was 3 years, $66 million, and Turner spurned his longtime home for the greener pastures of Milwaukee.
Okay, neither pasture feels particularly green right now, but he got way more money in the other pasture, so it's hard to blame him for the move. It's less hard to blame him for the multiple comments that could be construed as shots toward the Pacers that he took this offseason after signing in MKE, hence why he was booed roundly during his tribute video in his return to Indiana.
Aside from the broken relationship, the Pacers are now getting a firsthand look at just how difficult replicating Turner's production will be. And it's a pretty clear, yeah, no duh situation. Maybe because Turner was such a stalwart in the Pacers' starting lineup, the team forgot what it's like to not have him out there, causing them to overlook his nightly impact. For each of the past five seasons, the Pacers have been top 10 in blocks with Turner guarding the paint. So far in 2025-26, they barely crack the top 20 in rim protection.
While Jay Huff and Isaiah Jackson have each produced one random breakout game apiece, the Pacers frontcourt no longer has the consistency fans came to expect with Turner in the mix. For the record, Turner isn't putting up the numbers he's used to in Milwaukee, either, so maybe this is a sad breakup for everyone involved.
Pacers frontcourt can still be productive, but brings questions
I know that Pacers fans have long moved on from Turner, and I can't fault them after how the relationship ended. And in a season that felt lost before it started with Tyrese Haliburton's injury, the Pacers' unwillingness to keep Turner around makes a little more sense.
But that won't make it easier to watch nights the team doesn't have a reliable center option. For the record, I like Jay Huff and Isaiah Jackson, but neither has been a trustworthy starting center for long stretches of their careers.
If either turns into one, that would make the frontcourt situation look brighter, but for the time being, a lack of Myles Turner hurts. Even if Pacers fans are actively rooting for his downfall in Milwaukee right now.