Myles Turner Leaving Indiana Pacers In Free Agency For Milwaukee Bucks

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers are losing longtime center Myles Turner in free agency.

The 10-year veteran, who spent his entire NBA career in Indiana, is joining the Milwaukee Bucks on a four-year deal, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

This move is a significant blow for the Pacers. Turner, drafted in 2015, was a mainstay in Indiana’s starting frontcourt since the 2016-17 season. Now, for the first time in his career, he’s heading elsewhere and joining a division rival in Milwaukee.

According to Charania, Turner’s new contract totals $107 million and contains a player option in the final season. There is a 15% trade kicker that would boost Turner’s salary if he is ever dealt to another team. It’s a significant commitment from the Bucks that likely starts at nearly $25 million in the first year. To make this move possible, the Bucks made a series of aggressive maneuvers, including the surprising waiver of Damian Lillard.

But it worked, and Turner will leave the Pacers. He exits Indiana after averaging 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 39.6% shooting from three last season. He also was one of the team’s top defensive players.

A player with that talent level is typically retained, and for much of the offseason it appeared likely that Turner would return to Indiana. Reports suggested both sides were interested in a reunion. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle even emphasized Turner’s importance to the franchise during a pre-free agency radio interview.

“I don’t think it’s any secret that the franchise, at this particular moment, that that is the number one priority,” Carlisle said of Turner’s free agency. “I don’t know anything about money or numbers or years or any of that kind of stuff, but Myles is a very important part about what we’ve done here, what we’ve been doing.”

Instead, Turner is leaving. And depending on how his departure is structured, Indiana may receive nothing in return. That possibility creates a major challenge for a team now facing an uncertain 2025-26 season.

Myles Turner’s Departure Likely Tied To Pacers Uncertainty

Just two weeks ago, the Pacers appeared on the verge of a championship. They reached the NBA Finals, pushing the series to seven games and coming just one win short of a title.

For a team so close to the top, re-signing key contributors like Turner seemed like a no-brainer, even if it meant dipping into the luxury tax. It appeared that the Pacers were headed toward that reality.

Then, in Game 7, star Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles. He missed the rest of the game and will be sidelined for some, if not all, of next season. His absence significantly limits the competitive outlook of the 2025-26 Pacers.

With Haliburton out and the team’s ceiling diminished, the Pacers had reason to reassess their finances. Prior to any agreement with Turner, the blue and gold were about $19.7 million under the luxury tax line with 11 players under contract.

The first year value of Turner’s new deal with the Bucks projects to be about $24.8 million. Such an agreement would have taken the Pacers into the luxury tax, and reporting from several outlets suggests that Indiana’s offers to Turner were ultimately lower than the contract he signed with Milwaukee.

While salary concerns likely played a role, Indiana could have explored other ways to stay under the tax if they had prioritized keeping Turner. Without knowing the exact terms of their offer, it’s hard to say how budget-conscious they were. Instead, he will depart for a division rival, and it’s reasonable to assume some salary cap dynamics were at play.

Additionally, Turner is 29 and coming off of a playoffs during which he was great early and poor late. Against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, he struggled defensively. In the NBA Finals, his efficiency was a mess. With Turner turning 30 during the upcoming season, Indiana may have questioned his long-term value – especially given their broader title ambitions. Still, his departure leaves a considerable gap even if it comes with some amount of flexibility added.

What Should The Pacers Do At Center?

Outside of full Bird Rights on backup center Isaiah Jackson, the Pacers currently don’t have a way to add a center who makes more than the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception for the coming season – barring trades. Their current spending flexibility is limited. With Turner gone and Haliburton on the mend, the luxury tax seems like more of a barrier.

Turner was arguably the best center available in free agency. The top remaining free agent bigs include Al Horford, Deandre Ayton, and Moe Wagner. Many others are aging veterans, unproven prospects, or career backups.

Indiana previously signed Ayton to an offer sheet as a restricted free agent in 2022, but the Phoenix Suns used their match rights to retain the big man. Now, with him available again and perhaps the best option on the board, the Pacers may turn toward Ayton. Reporting has connected the two, but Ayton has been linked to many teams.

If Indiana opts for the trade market, they could use the NTMLE to absorb a player with a salary under $14.1 million. That opens a wide range of possibilities. Any such deal would require giving up assets, though there are starting-level centers on other teams that would fit into that salary cap exception and give the Pacers some relief at the center spot.

Alternatively, the Pacers may choose to evaluate internal options and delay major decisions until Haliburton returns in 2026. Jackson, Tony Bradley, Thomas Bryant, and James Wiseman all were a part of the Pacers plans on the interior at some point last season, so they could be candidates for a role in 2025-26.

As things stand, Bradley is the only big on the Pacers roster, and his contract is completely non-guaranteed. Indiana has to do something at center. Even with lowered expectations for the coming season, they need more talent at the five.

Losing Turner for nothing is a painful outcome for the Pacers, especially after a decade-long partnership. How much it impacts them will depend on their response and how they manage this transition period.

Turner is gone, and the Pacers must now regroup.