Pacers center Myles Turner reiterated his desire for a bigger offensive role on Friday but also made it clear he’s not seeking a trade, according to James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star.
Turner has discussed his role with the staff and appears to be satisfied with the tone of those conversations.
“It’s easy for me to sit here and say I want to shoot the ball 20 times a game. Everybody does. There’s only one ball out there,” Turner said. “There have been active conversations about me ‘asserting myself’ more. … We don’t really run a lot of plays …. We get a lot of our stuff off of the flow of our offense, and that’s not even what I’m asking. I’m not asking for individual plays. It’s just role clarity. That’s the best way I can describe it. Those are the candid conversations that I’ve had and it’s made my job easier.”
Turner raised some eyebrows with recent comments to The Athletic, saying he was frustrated with being a “glorified role player.”
“It’s clear that I’m not valued as anything more than a glorified role player here, and I want something more, more opportunity,” Turner said earlier in the week. “I’m trying really hard to make the role that I’m given here work and find a way to maximize it. I’ve been trying to the past two, three seasons. But it’s clear to me that, just numbers-wise, I’m not valued as more than a rotational role player, and I hold myself in a higher regard than that.”
Turner added he didn’t want to be just a floor spacer and “hide in the shadows.” Turner said on Friday he’s just tired of doing the same thing every season and compared his desire for a bigger role with a media member seeking a better job.
“You don’t want to stay consistent at the same exact thing, going for four, five, six years. Eventually you’re gonna want to move up, whether it be a promotion, whether it be a senior writer or (however) it works out,” he said. “It’s the same thing, how I addressed it. It’s not like me saying, ‘I’m demanding a trade.’ It’s not like me saying, ‘Get somebody else out here.’ It’s none of that. All that was me saying that I know my worth. I hold myself to a high regard, and I expressed that.”
The Pacers have won three straight and Turner has played a prominent offensive role the last two games. He had a 22-point outing against the Knicks on Wednesday and a 17-point output against the Mavericks on Friday.
Even with the streak, Indiana is four games under .500 and there’s been plenty of speculation the front office will shake up the roster. A report this week indicated Indiana was receptive to going into rebuild mode by trading veterans, with Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, and Turner being the most notable players available.
Turner’s four-year, $80MM contract runs through next season but it shouldn’t be an impediment to a trade. He’s the league’s leading shot-blocker.
Sabonis says there’s no issues sharing the floor with Turner.
“I think it works great. We love playing together,” he said. “So as long as we’re great on the court together and we feel great playing together, I don’t think it matters.”
Sure Myles sure!
Grizzlies should go all in on Sabonis.
Mavs should go get Turner
Suns should go get LeVert. Can never have enough shooting.
Knicks should go get Brogdon.
This was the exact issue Carlisle had with Porzingis in Dallas. Carlisle desires to play his bigs as stretch 5s to space the floor, and wants to play fast paced open shots from the outside. This has always been the case, dating back to the championship with Dirk and before. They simply outscored and outshot everyone that year. The local joke was that we were the Allas Mavericks (because we had no D).
Olynyk is the type of big that would thrive under Carlisle … a role player who is option #4 or #5 as an outside corner shooter on offense and can clean up some rebounds.
For the most part, Turner has been standing out at the 3-point line for his entire career – – not just under Carlisle. I’d love to see him play down low more often.
There was a time when Pacers were playing well. With this group. Then you add LeVert to that. They should be better. They’ve had key players go down. Then they get a new coach and still the same. Most their players are in their prime. So blowing it up says What.
Says they’re 12-16. They better figure this out quick. Or else they signed and extended and gave big money to the wrong guys and they better dump them now… or at trade deadline.
Only one they signed is Brogdon. The rest were drafted. LeVert was a trade. Imo this group needs a real PG. You put a young CP3 with this group. And they thrive. Talent doesn’t always translate to wins. You need good coaching to create good chemistry.
Brogdon is a good player. But I never saw him as the answer at PG.
Pacers could blow this up. They will get good offers. But they could just go for a guy like Anthony. Or another young PG who needs PT.
I agree 100%. It seems that for the past 2-3 seasons the Pacers have been lesser than the sum of their parts.
I agree 100%. It seems that for the past 2-3 seasons the Pacers have been lesser than the sum of their parts. much like the Celtics.
The role players have no right to control the trade
Pacers are on rebuild mode
If Warriors offer Wiseman and Kuminga, Pacers would accept the trade
Turner is only worth a role player like Norman Powell
Sillivan, the rule in NBA basketball is that a big is worth 1.5 small. Used to be 2-1 but with the change in the game and the importance of good Wing players and Lead guards, big men are becoming less important. But I still believe today is 1.5-1. Myles Turner is worth more than Norman Powell, though their effect on the floor could be the same. The reasoning is you could find Norman Powell way easier than you can find a Myles Turner.
Of course there’s other factors like contracts, time/years left on the deal, fit with the team, etc etc.
Doesn’t turners contract include unlikely incentives? I think his guarantee total was 70 mill.
Fournier, Robinson, one of the number one picks next year for Turner. Walker to the Sixers for Danny Green.
I’m not sure the Pacers would want Fournier. Robinson and a 1st with something else to offset salaries is probably a better deal.
Also not sure the Sixers would be interested in Walker. If Walker gets traded, it will probably be a salary-related thing and not because the acquiring team expects him to contribute.
They’d prolly need to trade that package just to rid themselves of Thornier
Mitch is on an expiring and doesn’t move many needles today
If Turner is available. Knicks will definitely take a look. Thibs likes him. Right now I rather him than Mitch. Mitch is wearing me out.
Based on these late comments especially, Turner may not be very bright. He talks in circles. Role clarity or role promotion? Plays or flow? Center or forward? I have never seen Turner create but I have seen him give up when he cannot dominate. He’s a good shooter for a shotblocker.
If I was a HC, I would not be sure what he’s demanding. I think he’s just a starter on a team that is not working out.
By the stats, he may be having his best year. But what does he want?