Myles Turner, Pacers committed to long distance

The Indiana Pacers changed the landscape of the NBA trading market with a deal they closed earlier this week. They didn’t make a trade, but one of the largest trade tokens thought to be available is now off the board.

Indiana agreed to a two-year extension with Myles Turner, including a reworked contract for the remainder of the 2022-2023 season. All in all, Turner’s new deal is worth $60 million, quashing rumors that have persisted for years.

“There’s definitely a sense of relief knowing there’s some security and you can just play the game,” Turner said after the press conference. “It (the trade rumours) is something I’ve been dealing with my entire career. But I wanted to be here in Indy.

Every trade deadline and off-season, the 2015 first round heard his name popping up in trade rumors. Had he not suffered a foot injury before the 2022 deadline, he could very well have been moving.

This offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers aggressively pursued him, but nothing came to fruition. The Pacers also signed Deandre Ayton to the largest bid in limited free agency history, matching the Phoenix Suns.

NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Myles Turner & Indiana Pacers Updates

While situations are always fluid in the NBA, this seems to be one that has settled down. Turner has now got his wish as he is signed through 2025, which will likely keep him at the center starting spot in Indiana for years to come.

“I think it made it easy when I got the full-time job with the five. That’s something I was definitely looking for,” Turner said. “Given the situation I’m in right now where I get to see extended minutes at the 5, that was one of the main things I was looking for.”

That spot became vacant when the Pacers made a shocking deal ahead of the trade deadline last season. They traded Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield. That’s a deal that both teams are very happy with, as the Kings are in a great position to break their playoff drought and the Pacers now have their new face of the franchise.

NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Myles Turner & Indiana Pacers Updates

“As a staff, we desperately hoped that this day would come,” said coach Rick Carlisle. “In the last year and a half since he returned to his natural position, the 5, we’ve seen great things.”

The changes have been fantastic for Turner, who is having the best season of his career. He averages 17.5 points and 7.8 rebounds, both of which are career highs, along with 1.3 assists and 2.4 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game. His 54.4 percent overall from field and 39.3 percent from 3-point range are also career highs.

NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Myles Turner & Indiana Pacers Updates

An injury to Haliburton has caused the Pacers to drop in the Eastern Conference standings, but the future looks bright for the franchise. That’s a future that Turner is now very happy to be a part of for the long haul.