If one thing is clear cut from this season’s deep playoff run, the Indiana Pacers, as currently constructed, have what it takes to be a championship-caliber contending NBA team. A new era of Pacers basketball began last year when they made their first Eastern Conference Finals since the 2013-14 season when Paul George led the way. Since then, Indiana made the playoffs from 2016 to 2020—all first-round exits until last year. The ship has unquestionably turned these days, and the Pacers are currently competing in another conference finals and are up 2-1 over the New York Knicks. All that said, Indiana has some decisions to make over the offseason, no matter how deep their run goes. One major decision the Pacers must attend to is impending free agent Myles Turner, one of the league’s top impending unrestricted free agents.
Pacers Playoff Run Makes Impending Free Agent Decision Easier
Indiana Pacers reportedly open to going into the luxury tax to keep free agent Myles Turner past this season
While he’s not necessarily a superstar in the NBA, Turner is undoubtedly a star and one of Indiana’s most important pieces to their electric roster. The 10-year veteran has spent his entire career in Indiana, but being a free agent this offseason has the potential to change that. Unless, of course, the Pacers are willing to dig deep and pay up, keeping Turner in Indiana for the foreseeable future.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, going into the luxury tax is something Indiana is open to doing for the sake of Turner staying in-house. This season, Turner received just under $20 million. With a new contract, though, Turner’s services should demand a significant increase, which makes the financial aspect of this story interesting. As Windhorst writes, Indiana hasn’t paid the luxury tax since 2005, and Turner isn’t the only player on the roster with heavy financial implications down the road. Indiana will owe Pascal Siakim and Tyrese Haliburton just over $90 million combined next season alone. It’s understandable why there would be hesitation in keeping Turner, as it would be significantly costly.
Considering everything that Turner has been for the Pacers this season and the fact that this team is a championship contender with him at center, Indiana should return to the luxury tax, keeping this roster intact for as long as possible. The trajectory of the franchise, as evident by consecutive deep postseason runs, shouldn’t make this a harder decision for Indiana but an easier one.
Turner joins a crowded FA group centers this summer
The center position is a hot commodity around the league, and the list of names hitting the market this offseason will garner much attention and interest from teams needing to fill the position. The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are just two teams in desperate need. Turner enters the summer as the top free-agent center, but several valuable names follow. Brook Lopez, Clint Capela, Al Horford, Steven Adams, and Kevon Looney are among them. Notably, Naz Reid and Mo Wagner also join the list but have player options.
If Indiana decides to let Turner test the market and, beyond that, walk and sign elsewhere, the Pacers have alternative options available. That said, none of those names listed, and the ones not listed, can offer what Turner can. The only exclusions might be Lopez or Capela.
Indiana’s best path forward is biting the bullet and entering the luxury tax. Turner is too valuable to let walk out of the door. Suppose Indiana dispatches New York and makes it to the finals. What then? A championship finals appearance only piles on the pressure to go all in for Turner this summer.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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