Pacers GM Chad Buchanan on Myles Turner's future: 'We want him to be here'

Turner is entering a contract year

May 21, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) reacts after a play against the Boston Celtics in the second quarter during game one of the eastern conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers invested in their roster at every turn this summer, agreeing to longer deals with Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin, T.J. McConnell, and Johnny Furphy. In the summer prior, Aaron Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton signed lengthy contracts. Altogether, the Pacers have locked up their core.

One key player has a shorter deal, though. It's Myles Turner. He signed a renegotiated-and-extended deal in 2023, which means he can't ink a contract extension while on his current agreement. Turner has one year left on his contract and will be a free agent in the summer of 2025.

Indiana has many contracts on the books and has a luxury tax threshold to manage in the next year or so, and Turner's new deal will be a storyline to monitor over that same span as a result. Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan addressed Turner's future during a press conference with reporters on Tuesday.

"All he knows is the Pacers. He's a big part of our identity," Buchanan began. "He's a big part of our identity on the court, off the court. He's great in the community, as you know."

Turner is under contract for just under $20 million for the 2024-25 campaign. In recent seasons, Kristaps Porzingis, Brook Lopez, Nic Claxton, Jarrett Allen, and Isaiah Hartenstein have set a market on center contracts — good starters who can contribute in the postseason are worth somewhere between $25 and 30 million.

What Turner's next deal lands at financially will depend on, in part, how he plays during the coming season. If his 2025-26 salary lands near where the market suggests it should, the blue and gold will either be in the luxury tax or have to make other moves to avoid it.

But if the Pacers have their way, Turner will stay with the team.

"His development fit with (head coach) Rick [Carlisle's] system. He fit with our point guards, fit with Pascal. You see how he seamlessly fits into the way we play," Buchanan said of Turner. "We're a big believer in Myles. We want him to be here. He's been our starting center."

The GM added that Turner has continued to grow with the Pacers and can even become more as a player. The big man averaged 17.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season and had his best-ever playoffs for the Eastern Conference Finalist Pacers.

"He's determined to get back to being a rim protector, the defensive presence that we need him to be," Buchanan said. "But also, he knows his fit offensively." Turner is an ideal complement between Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton, which is hard to find in the NBA.

That makes him an ideal big man for the Pacers and what makes his future with the team so important. His contractual future will be determined in the next 10 or so months.

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