The phone call that changed everything came at the worst possible time. Myles Turner and the Indiana Pacers were deep in contract talks, working toward what seemed like an inevitable reunion. Then ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped the news that sent shockwaves through Indianapolis: Turner had agreed to a four-year, $107 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Why Did Myles Turner Choose Bucks Over Pacers?
The Indiana Pacers’ president of basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard, had been in contract negotiations with Turner, the team’s longest-tenured player. However, those negotiations abruptly ended when ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped the bomb on X, declaring that Turner had agreed to a four-year, $107 million contract with Milwaukee.
Turner signed his contract on Monday, July 7, ending his 10-year tenure with the Pacers. Following this decision, Pritchard met with the media to discuss the Pacers’ magical run to the Finals, Tyrese Haliburton, and Turner’s exit.
#Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard on Myles Turner signing with the Bucks:
“Herb Simon and Steven Rales and the Simon family were fully prepared to go deep into the tax to keep him, and we really wanted to do that.” pic.twitter.com/Et8zTQUcHN
— WISH-TV News (@WISHNews8) July 7, 2025
“Sometimes you’re negotiating, but because a guy is unrestricted, he has the right to say, ‘That’s the offer I want, I’m going to take it, and that’s best for my family.’ And again, we were in good faith negotiations,” Pritchard said.
He went on to add further context about Milwaukee’s approach.
“It was a little surprising how Milwaukee created that [cap space]…We always say in our conference room: there’s cap teams that have cap space, and there’s shadow teams that have cap space. You can go get [cap room], but it becomes very challenging by buying out or making trades, and, you know, hat tip to Milwaukee to do that.”
The most surprising part of his answer on Turner gave a peek behind the scenes, as Turner and the Pacers were in “deep conversation.” However, ultimately, something changed, and the two-time NBA blocks leader signed with one of the Pacers’ rival teams, the Bucks.
“I think the most important thing is we were deep in conversations with Myles, and then we saw that he had accepted an offer with Milwaukee. And again, that’s part of this business that is challenging. I can tell you this also: there are two kinds of things that I believe that is kind of fundamental to the league right now, and that is, change is inevitable, and expect the unexpected. And I can’t tell you that we were fully [expecting] that.”
How Far Were the Pacers Willing to Go Financially?
The Pacers have not paid the luxury tax in 20 years, but Pritchard said the offer they were prepared to make Turner would have pushed Indiana over the salary cap. They were ready to face those financial ramifications to retain their big man.
“Herb Simon and Steven Rales and the Simon family were fully prepared to go deep into the tax to keep him, and we really wanted to do that,” Pritchard mentioned.
Despite their willingness to spend, Turner’s departure leaves a massive hole in the roster. The last game Turner played for the Pacers may be one fans want to forget. He only had six points, four rebounds, and one assist in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. But despite that performance, Pritchard jokingly stated the only way to replace Turner was “unless he’s got a clone.”
Filling that void won’t be easy, but the Pacers must do so by committee and are betting on the way cheaper Jay Huff, who fans are already talking themselves into, to help Indiana stay afloat in the 2025-26 season.
In the playoffs, the 6’11” big man had a strong showing, averaging 13.8 points and 4.8 rebounds on 44/34/77 shooting splits. While these aren’t gaudy numbers, his impact was felt more than a traditional box score will show. Unfortunately, Game 7 of the NBA Finals was a forgettable performance for Turner as the Oklahoma City Thunder captured the NBA title over the Pacers.
From a salary cap standpoint, Huff gives Indiana more cap space than a Turner return at the number he was expecting. The roughly $23 million difference between Huff’s and Turner’s salaries could help the Pacers pursue other players in a trade or possibly next summer.
With Tyrese Haliburton officially out for the full 2025-26 season, this may be the perfect time to retool for a chance at getting back to the NBA Finals in 2027.
