The Indiana Pacers went from taking the eventual champion to Game 7 of the NBA Finals to having an offseason fans want to forget. Shortly before their summer officially began after losing to the Thunder, Tyrese Haliburton ruptured his Achilles. That drastically altered the Pacers' outlook, but still, nobody thought they'd lose Myles Turner.
Kevin Pritchard, president of basketball operations, didn't think so, either. He said he learned that Turner accepted Milwaukee's offer on social media when ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news (subscription required). Losing the longest-tenured Pacer for nothing was hard enough, but the fact Turner signed with the Bucks made it even worse.
Indiana's had a quiet offseason, which is somewhat understandable, given that Haliburton will miss the entire 2025-26 season. His injury was out of their control (you can argue he shouldn't have played), but Turner's departure was in their control, no matter what Pritchard says. It's not like Turner wanted to leave; he loved being in Indiana.
Since (and even before) losing Turner, Indiana hasn't done much. They drafted Kam Jones in the second round of the draft, acquired James Huff in a trade with Memphis, and re-signed James Wiseman. The Pacers also extended qualifying offers to Isaiah Jackson and Quenton Jackson.
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Pritchard claimed that Indiana was willing to pay the luxury tax for the first time in two decades to keep Turner. He was a key part of an incredible run that could've ended the opposite way if Haliburton hadn't gotten hurt. That championship core is no more.
There is plenty of reason to believe that Haliburton missing next season was enough for the Pacers not to want to pay the luxury tax, regardless of what Pritchard said. Jake Fischer reported that Indiana's "best" offer to Turner was a three-year, $60 million deal. He signed a four-year, $107 million contract with the Bucks. The Pacers disrespected Turner.
He isn't a player that Indiana can easily replace, which, again, won't be a significant issue this upcoming season due to Haliburton's injury. Outside of the Cavaliers and Knicks, the East is wide open, though, so Indiana could've still made some noise with Turner.
The Pacers' cheapness resulted in an outcome that they didn't expect. They underestimated Turner's value, and after years of trade rumors, he left without Indiana getting anything in return. That situation alone is enough for Indiana to be crowned for having one of the worst offseasons in the league.