The Indiana Pacers are getting ready to kick off their playoff run on Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks. After their conference finals appearance last year, the Pacers will aim to go on another deep playoff run this year. Just like last season, the Pacers will rely heavily on their top-three players to lead them--Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner. However, while the Pacers are in a good spot heading into the playoffs, they have a lot of questions that must be answered, including what Turner's future in Indiana will look like.
Turner is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and is not eligible for a contract extension. Though reports have suggested that the Pacers want to bring their long-time big man back, they reportedly do not want to pay the luxury tax, meaning it would be much more difficult to re-sign Turner.
In case Turner does depart after 10 seasons in Indiana, it is crucial that the team finds a replacement (or at least the closest thing to one). Luckily for them, the perfect Turner replacement may have just emerged a couple of months before the NBA Draft.
Pacers have perfect Myles Turner replacement in the draft
If Turner leaves in free agency, the Pacers do not have many options to replace him without taking a major step back, and their best bet may be to take someone in the draft. Additionally, even if Turner re-signs with Indiana, drafting a center as early as possible might be a smart idea for the team as it should give them a solid backup center. More specifically, the Pacers could have interest in Florida big man Alex Condon, who recently declared for this year's draft.
Condon is a 6-foot-11 big man who many project will go late in the first round or early in the second round, which could be right up the Pacers' alley. The Australian native brings energy to the court and is a good defender. While he is not as good of a perimeter shooter as Turner is, he has potential as a stretch big and could become a weapon from the outside, especially on the Pacers.
As it stands, Condon, who is fresh off an NCAA Championship victory, is not someone who could hypothetically step into Turner's place and be as valuable. However, he does provide some value and has a lot of potential. His status during the draft will be worth monitoring for Pacers fans.