Myles Turner is having an incredibly lackluster NBA Finals for the Indiana Pacers right now, and that does not bode well for him ahead of his unrestricted free agency this summer. Even so, while there is now more of a risk involved than it may have initially seemed, the Pacers should still re-sign Turner in the offseason.
Through the first five games of the NBA Finals, the Texas native is averaging 13 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 blocks. Additionally, he is also averaging 2.4 turnovers per game and is shooting 41.7% from the field and 22.7% from the three-point line in the series up to this point.
Turner is leaving a lot to be desired on the court at every level of the game, and his struggles have cost the Pacers in a major way. When his shot isn't falling, Turner can sometimes be an outright negative on the court. Additionally, the Pacers are getting killed on the boards, which is never a good thing in the NBA Finals. Still, even with his recent performances, the Pacers should bring him back in the offseason, as they do not have much of a choice otherwise.
There is no legitimate replacement for Myles Turner
Turner is not a flawless center, and the NBA Finals (and parts of the conference finals against the New York Knicks) are proving that. The Pacers will likely always be among the worst rebounding teams as long as Turner is their starting center, and his game relies too heavily on jumpshots and his ability to stretch the floor, which is not effective if he is not shooting well. Regardless, there is more of a reason to believe this is just a bad stretch more than it is a sign of things to come.
The long-time Pacers big man provides a lot of value on both sides of the ball, and he is a fantastic fit in the frontcourt alongside Pascal Siakam. Additionally, he is a great fit in Indiana's offensive system, and there are very few big men who can do what he does. Most importantly, however, there is no upgrade or even realistic replacement for Turner who will be available this offseason, which makes moving on from him an even riskier move than re-signing him regardless of the cost.
Turner himself is arguably the best impending free agent center, and there is likely no other big man on the trade market the Pacers can acquire who would be an upgrade. Moving on from him would likely be a short-sighted move, especially if they do not have a backup plan.
There is still at least one more game left in the NBA Finals for Turner to get back on track, because he admittedly has not done himself any favors so far. However, regardless of what happens, the 29-year-old is likely staying in Indiana past this offseason, and that is the right call.