Pacers big man Myles Turner, who has heard his name included in trade rumors for multiple years, told Jared Weiss of The Athletic that he loves playing in Indiana and wants to win with the team. However, he has also been frustrated with playing what he views as a limited role.
“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 to Weiss. “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.
“… I’ve been given many roles in the years that I’ve been here, and I feel like I’ve been able to produce at a high level in the roles I’ve been given,” Turner added. “I’ve shown that I can do the things they ask me to do, and I think it’s time to put that all together and be a more prominent night-in, night-out guy on the offensive side of the ball instead of someone who is asked to be a floor spacer and hide in the shadows.”
Turner has enjoyed the occasional offensive outburst this season, scoring 40 points in Washington on October 22 and knocking down seven 3-pointers vs. New York on November 3. However, his modest season-long scoring average of 12.9 PPG is right in line with his career rate (12.7 PPG).
Head coach Rick Carlisle told Weiss that Turner, a talented rim protector, has a significant impact on winning whether he’s scoring or not, noting that the big man’s 40-point night may have “kind of skewed what the day-to-day expectations are” for him offensively. Carlisle and the coaching staff met to discuss Turner’s role this week and vowed to make an effort to get him involved in more actions as a roller. However, sources tell Weiss that Turner remains unconvinced that any positive changes to his role will stick.
“Myles has always wanted a bigger, more important role on the offensive end, but we absolutely know his value overall,” president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard told Weiss. “Sometimes with Myles, we know how good he is and how dominant he is on the defensive end, and I think he wants to be a more complete player, not just a defensive player. I respect the s–t out of that. You know I do.”
Here’s more out of Indiana:
- Pritchard told Pacers players this week that the team is fielding trade calls for Turner and Domantas Sabonis, but still believes the pairing can work and would be fine seeing it through this season, sources tell Weiss. Carlisle also remains convinced Turner and Sabonis can succeed alongside each other, pointing to their net rating as evidence, Weiss notes. The Pacers have a +10.9 rating when the two big men share the court this season.
- Turner and Sabonis told reporters on Wednesday that they’re unfazed by the trade rumors and have grown accustomed to them, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. “We want to be here,” Sabonis said. “And as long as we represent the team and have that jersey on our backs we’re gonna come out and compete.”
- If the Pacers move one of their two big men, Turner appears to be the more likely trade candidate. However, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer wonders if it should be the other way around, exploring whether Indiana ought to be more open to the idea of building around Turner.
- There are people in the Knicks‘ front office who like the idea of pursuing a Turner trade this season, Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes in a follow-up to his recent report on the Knicks and Turner.
- In the latest episode of the HoopsHype Podcast, Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan identified the Warriors and Hornets as two teams they view as logical suitors for Turner.
- The Pacers canceled their practice on Thursday out of “an abundance of caution” related to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, tweets ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. The team didn’t offer any additional details, so it’s unclear whether a member of the organization tested positive. Currently, Justin Holiday is the only Pacers player in the league’s health and safety protocols, having been unavailable since November 30.
Turner doesn’t sound happy in a limited role so perhaps the Warriors as a destination would be out because of that? Maybe he would change his mind and be happy with winning and playing 20 minutes or 25 minutes?
They’re definitely not going to throw him the ball in the post 15 times a game on the Warriors. But the ball moves there and players are unselfish so that might be okay for him.
Question is what do you give up and what would Indiana want? I don’t think it can work because the Warriors assets are all dear to them. Young guys, old guys, in between guys. I think they’re happy where they are. Whatever they would offer and be willing to give up would not be enough for the Pacers.
Mr Turner is real nice that you value yourself more than that, but sadly defending & shooting 3’s ain’t really that much important, on the other hand Mr Sabonis is a light years better player than you as he can shoot, rebound, pass, create… the whole 9 yards, maybe if you could do those things as well people would value more for sure!
Sabonis can’t shoot he’s .300 and .315 from 3. He can’t defend. Hes a good passer from the elbows and has some nice post moves. Sabonis is Jokic lite. He’s not light years better than Turner. Just different skill sets.
#freemylesturner
Exactly Sabonis is Jokic lite… which is what you want from your center, as Jokic is light years the best player in the league!
What I want from my center is to dominate the league & be unstoppable in offense like Jokic, Embiid, KAT, DMC (before injuries), Sabonis… that is what I want from my center!
I agree I like Sabonis over Turner…..but Turner may be best for the dubs fit wise. Sabonis would be in much of the same space Green is in.
It’s now about who is “better” but who is better fit. Maybe if you knew the game better you’d get it.
Hornets could definitely use a guy like Turner. Make it happen, Mitch! Plumlee + Washington for Myles.
Beware of what you ask for. As a laker fan, Mitch may offer Turner a max contract
Turner stats
13 and 7
His trade value is overrated
Indy:
Turner and a second round pick for Wiseman and Kuminga.
Sabonis, Lamb and a protected first for Suggs and Gary Harris.
That’s mainly what you need. Wiseman Kuminga and Suggs is your new young big three you hope to develop and build around. Harris gives you a healthy expiring deal which along with TJs expiring deal gives you some money to spend in FA.
Still make make more trades with LeVert, Warren and Holiday
Some of the worst proposals I’ve ever seen.
Come on Tazza, are you serious here!
You wanna swap an All-Star that in my opinion is a top-10 player in the league for a rookie like Jalen Sucks that is having a horrible time of it!!!
I would want an All-Star + a number of future assets for him, or a young package like J-Wise, Kuminga & a 2/3 unprotected first rounders!
Sabonis top 10 hahahah
A lot of rookies struggles in their first season but Suggs will turn it around also have to factor in the magic suck as a whole and the team is overloaded with guards.
As for your last bit I want a package of blah blah blah. Well if you read my comment your already getting that in return for Turner
Why would the pacers trade both turner and Sabonis when most of the league needs/wants guys like that?
If your going to make suggestions at least try to make sense.
Kuminga would be an overpay for Turner.
Exactly. So would Wiseman. In three years Wiseman will be as good or better than Myles Turner. Or at least the potential to be. He can block shots, he can run the floor, he can shoot the three and other jump shots, and score in the post because he’s bigger. Fingers crossed the development happens.
In your dreams – to bad it’s more likely it will never happen. Dude is a bust.
Would love to have Turner in NY. The Garden will love him. He’s a 2 way player. A team player, that can help us. Getting tired of waiting on Mitch.
Ahhahaha agree Turner would be good but the Knicks need way more than that.
Sleepy, every one of your posts on this comment thread criticizes and/or insults another posters comments/suggestions. But there is NOT ONE post from you saying what you’d do. What is your trade idea, if in fact you have one? If you don’t have one, pound sand.
Do you know how to follow a thread? Im a previous post I mentioned affinity for Turner over Sabonis for the dubs. Don’t think I need to spell it out for morons. If you understand the game, then you’d see why Turner is a better fit.
What’s the trade then? Exactly. This moron is still waiting for the other morons trade proposal. Any moron would have been able to understand “what is your trade proposal”. That’s quoted from my previous post. As much as you ridicule posts from others, I would expect that you would at least be proficient at reading comprehension.
I agreed with you I’m tired of the often injured center Mitch myself and he is one dimensional and I don’t see him being the center of the future.
GSW doesn’t need to make any trade, but that’s usually the best time to make one. If they were to engage IND, it should be for Sabonis. IND likely wouldn’t want Wiseman (if they’re keeping Turner), just as GSW likely wouldn’t want Turner (if they’re keeping Wiseman). But there are multi-team deals that might work. I’m not sure IND can be sold on dealing Sabonis as easily as they’d be on dealing Turner, but it’s worth kicking the tires on.
No report about Wiseman returning to the GSW bench any time soon ?
I think if GSW can trade Turner for Wiseman they should go all in.
Stop talking 3years potential, development bright future BS, it’s about contending now with the splash bro … Wiseman is a sophomoron who ain’t gonna stop Giannis, AD, Ayton nor Joël or Bam in the PO…
I agreed with you I’m tired of the often injured center Mitch myself and he is one dimensional and I don’t see him being the center of the future.
This post is for sleepyfloyd:
“maybe if you knew the game better you’d get it”
“if your going to make suggestions at least make sense”
“in your dreams”
“don’t think I need to spell it out for morons”
These are all quotes from Sleepy on this thread alone.
Dude (your word), all you need to do is DETAIL WHAT THE WISEMAN TRADE SHOULD BE. Who for who. You can continue to be a jerk and mock people’s idea without offering what you think would be a fair trade, or you can pound sand as I suggested earlier.