Myles Turner is set to hit unrestricted free agency, but if the latest reports are true, he is not going anywhere this summer.
In a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, NBA insider Shams Charania revealed that the Indiana Pacers are "planning to bring back Myles Turner" this summer following the wake of Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles injury, even if it means they are going to be a tax-paying team.
Turner has spent his entire 10-year career with the Pacers up to this point. For a while, it seemed like a no-brainer decision for the Pacers to bring their long-time big man back. However, following his poor performance in the NBA Finals, this no longer seems like an obvious decision. Still, according to Charania, there is a good chance the Pacers will re-sign Turner, and only time will tell whether this will be the right call or not.
Myles Turner left a lot to be desired in the NBA Finals
To say Turner had a disappointing performance in the NBA Finals would be an understatement. He was far from the only reason the Pacers lost the series in seven games, but he didn't help. Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Turner averaged 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 2 turnovers. Furthermore, he shot 37.7% from the field and 21.4% from beyond the arc.
With the exception of a few stretches in the NBA Finals, Turner did not look good. At times, he was a negative on the court. Turner's shot never fell throughout the Finals, and he regularly got killed on the boards. The Pacers were still one win away from bringing home the Larry O'Brien Trophy, but it is safe to assume they would have been much better off if Turner had even one great performance.
Despite his bad showing under the bright lights, there are reasons for the Pacers to re-sign Turner in the offseason. First, there is no clear replacement for the Texas native, whether it be in the draft, free agency, or the trade market. There are few big men who can both stretch the floor and protect the rim to the level that Turner can, and it is far too risky for the Pacers to lose him for nothing in free agency. Additionally, Turner is a big reason Indiana made it this far in the first place. He is a fantastic fit in their system, and he plays perfectly alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.
There is a fair discussion to be had about how the Pacers would have fared if they had a different center on the court, more specifically, one who would contribute more on the boards. However, Turner is still a valuable contributor in Indiana, and bringing him back may be the right move.
As it stands, re-signing Turner would almost guarantee that the Pacers have to pay the luxury tax next season, and it seems like that is what the plan is. Even with Haliburton's injury, which may force him to sit out the entirety of next season, Indiana might benefit from keeping their core together next season, especially as a way to potentially shock the world again. Doing so would require bringing Turner back this offseason, and while things can change, this is what fans should expect to happen based on Charania's latest reports.