Prior to this year's NBA Trade Deadline, there were some reports suggesting the Indiana Pacers would move on from Myles Turner. Turner is an impending free agent who is not eligible for a contract extension, and there was reportedly some belief that the Pacers would not be willing to pay his desired salary in a new deal.
The deadline has since passed and Turner remains a member of the Pacers. While it seemed like trading Turner was a possibility on paper, Pacers fans have played this song and dance countless times before and believed this was just another rumor. Fortunately for Pacers fans, this is exactly what it was.
Recently, Pacers GM Chad Buchanan appeared on the Setting The Pace podcast (Spotify link) and spoke about the trade rumors involving Turner. In what should act as a surprise to nobody, Buchanan made it clear that the big man was never going to get traded.
Chad Buchanan calls the Myles Turner trade rumors 'comical'
During his interview, Buchanan called the Turner trade rumors "comical" and confirmed that they consider the Texas native a key part of their roster.
"It's almost comical," Buchanan said. "I'm reading the Myles Turner trade rumors out there at the trade deadline and I'm just, 'Where in the world do the people get this information?' Sometimes we as a front office sit back and laugh because it's unreal where some of this information comes from."
"We've all seen how Myles fits with this group. His uniqueness in being able to stretch the floor which gives space to everybody, especially Tyrese (Haliburton) and Pascal (Siakam). It's hard to find a guy who fits better than Myles. That's why we've kept him for so long. We value what he does and who he is as a human being."
Directly from Buchanan, it is clear the Pacers had no desire to trade Turner. By all accounts, this was the right move for the team to make. Turner is essential to the Pacers' success and provides a skillset that is not easy to replicate. In addition to being one of the best stretch bigs in the NBA, Turner is a legitimate shot-blocker. While he is far from a perfect player, it is virtually impossible for the Pacers to get an upgrade over him, especially considering that he is on an expiring contract. Luckily for fans, the front office also feels this way.
What remains to be seen is what the future holds for Turner and the Pacers. The veteran big man has spent the first 10 seasons of his career in Indiana and has blossomed into an essential player on the roster. However, there is still a sense of uncertainty as Turner will hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
As it stands, there are few reasons to believe he would actually leave Indiana. On the court, he is a fantastic player who would be incredibly difficult for the Pacers to replace. Off the court, he is a fan favorite and has embraced being a Pacer. However, his status is still important to monitor, especially because there have already been rumors about the two sides potentially not seeing eye-to-eye on what Turner's next contract could look like.
The offseason is still a few months away, but the Pacers have other short-term goals in mind, such as making another deep playoff run. Turner is crucial to the Pacers achieving this goal, even with his future not set in stone. Regardless, Turner is a Pacer for now and should be for the foreseeable future.