Myles Turner agrees to two-year contract extension with Pacers

Jan 29, 2023 - 3:04 AM

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On Saturday afternoon, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Myles Turner had signed a two-year contract extension worth around $60 million. The surprise news ended months of speculation about Turner’s future with the team. Both sides have said they were communicating on working out a deal and we now know they were on the same page getting this deal done before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania broke down the details of the deal which included a rare salary boost ($17.1) for the current season which allowed for the Pacers to sign Turner through the 2024-25 season with a decreasing hit on the salary cap in the second year.

That my friends, is a team-friendly deal that still gives Turner the overall salary range he was searching for as a pending free agent. Turner earned the big raise by averaging a career-high 17.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game while shooting nearly 55% from the field and 39% from behind the arc.

These numbers coincide with Turner finding some sweet on court chemistry with Tyrese Haliburton as the pair teamed up for the first time at the start of this season. That process surely altered any thoughts Turner may have had about looking for a fresh start elsewhere. Instead he found that fresh start back home in Indiana.

While this is great news for Turner and the Pacers, it does keep the Pacers front court rotation clogged with centers creating a challenge for the team to give both Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith the consistent developmental minutes they need to continue growing their game.

With the trade deadline approaching the team will likely rank two of their first round picks at the top of the team’s tradeable assets. But Smith and or IJax may move up the list of players available to go along with a Chris Duarte and Buddy Hield as most likely to move. The Pacers remain desperate for an active big wing to fill spot in the Pacers frontcourt so they can avoid having to play so small, so often.

But for today, the team is celebrating extending Turner who has always embraced Indy, so it is real nice to see that loyalty rewarded after so many top players have soured on their situation with the Pacers.

Please share your thoughts on the Turner deal and how you may rank the Pacers likely tradable assets in the comments.