Myles Turner

Hawks Among Teams Eyeing Myles Turner

June 9th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to the Pistons, the Hawks are among the teams who have interest in center Myles Turner, reports Grant Afseth of RG.org. Turner, currently vying for a championship with the Pacers, will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Reports in recent weeks have repeatedly indicated that the Pacers and Turner have interest in working out a new deal and that Indiana is willing to become a taxpayer for the first time since 2006 in order to make it happen. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) wrote on Sunday that there’s “strong sentiment” among league executives that Turner will remain in Indiana, with cap strategists projecting a deal in the range of $30MM per year.

However, Afseth says the Hawks are “monitoring Turner’s situation closely,” with their own veteran centers Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr. headed for unrestricted free agency this offseason.

Even with Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Dyson Daniels wreaking havoc on the perimeter, Atlanta ranked just 18th in defensive rating in 2024/25. The team also came in at No. 18 in three-point percentage. Turner, a big man who can space the floor (.396 3PT% in 2024/25) and protect the rim (2.0 BPG), would be a major asset on both ends of the court.

Still, if the Pacers are committed to retaining Turner and he doesn’t want to go anywhere, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which he ends up in Atlanta. The Hawks don’t project to have cap room this summer, so barring some significant cost-cutting moves, the club would need Indiana’s cooperation to acquire Turner via sign-and-trade, which seems unlikely.

Since the Pacers hold Turner’s Bird rights, they’ll have the ability to offer any amount up to his maximum salary if they’re comfortable paying the associated luxury tax penalties.

Central Notes: Bucks, Bulls, Turner

June 8th, 2025 at 9:06pm CST by Eli Cohen

While there’s reportedly increased skepticism that the Bucks and star Giannis Antetokounmpo will part ways this summer, there are plenty of questions facing the team regardless of whether he stays or leaves. Spotrac’s Keith Smith breaks down the many hurdles Milwaukee has to face in his offseason preview, writing that the team is in the unfortunate position of needing to prepare for two potential paths: one where the two-time MVP stays and one where he goes.

The Bucks have few assets to trade should Antetokounmpo decide to remain in Milwaukee, and it would be imperative to maximize the pieces still on the roster, given that any team with Giannis would surely still be attempting to compete for championships. Longtime Antetokounmpo running mate Brook Lopez is an unrestricted free agent and could probably be retained for somewhere around $15-18MM per season over two years, Smith speculates. Bobby Portis has a $13.4MM player option, and it’s unclear if he would command more than that on the market.

Retaining their minimum signings in Gary Tr ent Jr., Taurean Prince, and Kevin Porte r Jr. will be important, as they can all contribute as floor spacers, which is crucial when building a roster around Antetokounmpo. It’s unlikely that Pat Connaughton and Kyle Kuzma will receive contract extensions, and it’s possible the team looks to move them for more consistent contributors, Smith writes.

If Antetokounmpo does ask out, though, Smith expects all of the Bucks’ free agents to be on new teams come next season, though it’s highly likely Connaughton picks up his player option no matter what else happens.

We have more news from the Central Division:

If the Bucks want to get more out of their marginal moves, they need to have better top-down organizational alignment, writes The Athletic’s Eric Nehm in his Bucks mailbag. Nehm identifies A.J. Green as one of the team’s few developmental successes, and points to head coach Doc Rivers‘ deliberate creation of a role for the shooting specialist as a key to that success. The Bucks need their head coach to take a similar approach to other players, notably Andre Ja ckson Jr., if they want to recreate that formula.
The Bulls‘ outlook has improved since the end of the season based solely on the Eastern Conference weakening this summer, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. With the top two picks in the 2025 draft expected to end up on Western Conference teams, the Celtics looking at a restructuring season following Jayson Tatum‘s ruptured Achilles, and questions surrounding what the Cavaliers and Knicks will do following postseason defeats, Chicago could stand pat and still be back in postseason contention. However, the Bulls have decisions to make on trading or extending players like Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu, and Coby White, who are all heading into the final year of their deals.
The Pacers and starting center Myles Turner have mutual interest in coming to terms on a new deal, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter video link). Indiana hasn’t been a taxpayer since 2006, but after making deep playoff runs in back-to-back years, the club is willing to pay what it takes to keep its roster intact, says Charania. Jake Fischer of the Stein Line, who has previously reported that the Pacers are expected to re-sign Turner, confirms the ongoing mutual interest between the two sides.

Pistons Notes: Free Agents, Trades, Offseason Priorities, Thompson

June 8th, 2025 at 6:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Rival teams expect the Pistons to be players in the free agent market this summer, writes Jake Fischer for The Stein Line (Substack link). They have the ability to create around $17MM in cap space if they choose to operate below the salary cap, a decision which could help shed light on the team’s roster-construction plans moving forward.

Fischer writes that the Pistons are looking at different options, including renting out space as a third team in bigger deals in order to accumulate assets or continuing to add veteran talent, a path that helped the team achieve a good measure of success this season.

Fischer also confirms prior reporting that much of Detroit’s focus has revolved around shooting big men such as Myles Turner and Naz Reid — he also adds Grizzlies restricted free agent Santi Aldama to the list of possible Pistons targets. However, Fischer says teams around the league are expecting all three of those bigs to remain with their current clubs.

There’s also the question of Detroit’s own free agents. Tim Hardaw ay Jr., Dennis Schröder, and Malik Beasley are all unrestricted free agents this summer, and with Jaden Ivey set to return from injury, it’s unclear how many backcourt minutes will be available for all three. Fischer believes Hardaway is the least likely of those free agents to return. Beasley and the Pistons have expressed mutual interest in finding a new deal, and Schröder was a hugely valuable piece for Detroit, especially in the playoffs.

We have more Pistons notes:

The Pistons have the pieces to go big-name hunting for the first time in many years, writes Omari Sankofa II for the Detroit Free Press (subscription required). They have up to four tradable first-round picks, 15 second-rounders, and a combination of young, promising players and established veterans. However, with many teams similarly stocked with trade assets, making a blockbuster trade would likely mean paying a significant price, Sankofa writes in a column breaking down three potential deals the Pistons could consider. The first name he considers is the Suns’ Devin Booker, suggesting that a package might consist of Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, and a massive combination of first- and second-round picks. He also looks at what it could take to land either Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jaren Jack son Jr. The question the Pistons have to decide is whether Cade Cunningham‘s ascendance requires an acceleration of the team-building timeline.
In a mailbag, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com breaks down the team’s priorities this offseason. The level to which Detroit succeeds next year depends, for the most part, on internal development, he writes. That includes Thompson experiencing his first healthy NBA offseason, Iver getting back to 100%, and players like Ron Holland II and Jalen Duren further honing their skill sets. Langlois also points to Cunningham becoming a more consistent three-point shooter and finding ways to cut down the turnovers as key points of emphasis.
In the same mailbag, Langlois discusses which area is more important for Thompson moving forward — shooting or play-making. While a reliable jump shot would put Thompson over the top, Langlois believes that play-making is an area in which the athletic forward can find a great deal of value as he continues trying to develop his individual scoring. He points to a supercharged Josh Hart as a blueprint for how Thompson could find success as a defender, passer, and rebounder, and adds that in terms of the two options, the Pistons guard has a stronger base as a secondary play-maker to build off than he does as a shooter.

Central Notes: Ivey, Bulls, Turner

June 1st, 2025 at 1:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pistons guard Jaden Ivey had a very promising 2024/25 season — for the 30 games he was on the floor, at least.

Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reviews Ivey’s third pro season and considers what’s next for him, noting that the third-year pro evolved as a jump shooter and a creator under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

Across the aforementioned 30 healthy bouts, Ivey averaged 17.6 points, 4.1 boards and 4.0 dimes per game ahead of becoming extension-eligible this summer. Bickerstaff has been an ardent fan of Ivey’s play, according to Langlois, who writes that the 6’4″ guard can thrive both off-ball alongside All-NBA point guard Cade Cunningham and as a lead ball handler without Cunningham.

Langlois observes that Ivey’s role leading bench units could hinge on what happens with reserve guard Dennis Schröder in free agency.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

The Bulls are potentially interested in selecting BYU guard Egor Demin with the No. 12 pick in this month’s draft — if he’s still available at that point, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times reiterates in a story breaking down four potential lottery targets for the team. Cowley, who previously reported Chicago’s potential interest in Demin, also takes a closer look at Derik Queen, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Asa Newell.
The Pacers, now back in the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years, face a major decision this summer when it comes to the future of free agent center Myles Turner, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. While Indiana is considered likely to retain the 6’11” big man, he could become a hot commodity this summer. A unique three-and-D center, the Texas alum has been a critical contributor to his team’s two straight Eastern Conference Finals runs, and will prove integral if it hopes to fend off Oklahoma City in the Finals. Indiana holds a $2.9MM option on his backup, Tony Bradley, while third-stringer Thomas Bryant will also hit unrestricted free agency.
In case you missed it, Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was honored as the club’s Eastern Conference Finals MVP for his performance against New York, in a narrow 5-4 vote.

Pistons Have Interest In Naz Reid, Myles Turner

May 31st, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons are “known to covet” a big man who can space the floor, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, who reports in his latest Substack article (subscription required) that the team is said to have interest in both Naz Reid and Myles Turner.

Reid followed up his Sixth Man of the Year campaign in 2023/24 with another strong season for the Timberwolves in ’24/25, averaging 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 27.5 minutes per game across 80 outings (17 starts). He has made 39.5% of 5.4 three-point attempts per game over the past two seasons.

Turner, who was drafted 11th overall by the Pacers in 2015 and has been the team’s starting center for the last decade, averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 30.2 minutes per contest across 72 games this season. The 29-year-old knocked down a career-high 39.6% of 5.5 three-pointers per night and has played a key role in getting the Pacers within one game of an NBA Finals appearance.

It remains to be seen whether the Pistons have a viable chance to land either player, Stein acknowledges.

Reid holds a $15MM player option for next season and the Timberwolves have made it known they’d have strong interest in working out a new deal with him if he declines that option, Stein writes.

As for Turner, multiple reports have indicated that Indiana is well positioned to re-sign the longtime Pacer in unrestricted free agency this summer, and Stein confirms that the team has conveyed a willingness to go into the tax next season to keep its roster together.

As we detailed earlier this week, the Pistons could potentially create nearly $17MM in cap room without making any cost-cutting moves, but it would mean renouncing their rights to key free agents like Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Dennis Schröder. If the club operates over the cap, it could offer the full mid-level exception, worth a projected $14.1MM, to a free agent, but wouldn’t be able to exceed that figure without a sign-and-trade.

Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, and Paul Reed handled big-man duties for Detroit in 2024/25. While that trio was effective, none of the three is a threat from beyond the arc — they made a combined 25 three-pointers on the season, with Duren not attempting a single one.

Pacers Notes: McConnell, Haliburton, Tax, Turner, Bradley, Sheppard

May 25th, 2025 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

T.J. McConnell continues to be an annoying pest against the Knicks during the postseason. McConnell has scored 10 points in each of the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals despite limited playing time.

“It’s kind of defined T.J.’s 10-year career in the NBA,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. “He’s done a great job throughout the playoffs of playing his game and not allowing some difficult situations to deter him from keeping his focus on what he needs to do to help the team. So I thought he was a real key [to the first two games], and we’re gonna need the same effort from everybody when we go home.”

McConnell averaged 11.9 points and 6.0 assists in 20.6 minutes per game in last season’s conference semifinals series against New York. Game 3 is tonight.

We have more on the Pacers:

Tyrese Haliburton enjoys not only being a team leader and clutch performer but also an agitator, Grant Afseth writes in a column for Ballislife.com. Afseth notes that Haliburton, who was voted in an anonymous players’ poll early this season as the league’s most overrated player, is averaging 25.0 points, 8.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor in closeout games during his career.
Indiana’s success has led the team’s ownership group to embrace the possibility of paying luxury taxes, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports. Ownership has indicated a willingness to increase spending next season and potentially pay a luxury tax fee to keep this core together. That’s a signal that the Pacers will do all they can to re-sign big man Myles Turner, who is headed to unrestricted free agency. Internally, they’re hoping to bring back Turner while retaining their impressive depth.
Tony Bradley, who logged just 113 total minutes during the regular season, grabbed a couple of crucial rebounds in an eight-minute stint in Game 2. “Tony Bradley hasn’t played in the series, but he’s one of our better rebounders,” Carlisle said “We elected to go with him to spell Myles a little bit. We’re a team that needs everybody. That’s how we’ve got to play.” Indiana holds a $2.94MM club option on Bradley’s contract for next season.
Ben Sheppard has played 20 turnover-free minutes in the series. “Another guy who can bring a different dimension,” Carlisle said during Sunday’s pregame press conference, per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). “He always goes hard … From a game plan standpoint, he always stays with what we’re trying to do.”

Pacers Notes: Siakam, Turner, Sheppard, Contending

May 24th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Earnest Marshall

Pacers star Pascal Siakam delivered on the biggest stage on Friday night, surging to a playoff career-high 39 points, five rebounds and three assists in a Game 2 win in the Eastern Conference Finals over the Knicks, Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic observes.

“Whatever was out there, I just took it,” Siakam said. “I think what makes us special as a team is just that we have different weapons and we’re not consumed with who’s going to do what. You just go into the game, and however the game presents itself, that’s how we go and take it and do it our way. And it doesn’t matter who scores.”

The Pacers acquired Siakam at last year’s trade deadline, a move that paid immediate dividends with Indiana’s back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances since his arrival.

“That’s why we brought him here. It’s what he’s here to do,” Haliburton said. “He can get a bucket in so many different ways. He started the game high, and we just kept feeding him. I thought he did a great job of making big shot after big shot after big shot, killing momentum.”

We have more from the Pacers:

Myles Turner again delivered on the biggest stage, scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter and keying the Pacers’ run that pushed them over the top, Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar writes. Dopirak also points out within the same story that Siakam’s Game 2 performance is even more impressive considering he was being primarily guarded by OG Anunoby.
Ben Sheppard has been a key reserve for the Pacers in the playoffs. Though he hasn’t played much, coach Rick Carlisle is trusting him to play in big moments and give the starters some rest, Dopirak writes. “He’s a guy that is very dependable,” Carlisle said. “He goes in and you know you’re going to get hard play, running, real effort, attention to detail. He plays with a pace and an energy that’s healthy to our team.“
The Pacers continue to prove they belong on this stage, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated writes. “What’s really special about our group is we have so many different people contributing,” Haliburton said. “So many people doing special things.” Indiana is 44-16 since the calendar turned to 2025.

Fischer: Myles Turner Expected To Re-Sign With Pacers

May 16th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Rory Maher

Myles Turner will be one of the NBA’s marquee free agents this summer, but it sounds like he probably won’t be going anywhere. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), there’s a “rising expectation” around the NBA that the veteran center will re-sign with the Pacers.

Turner is finishing his 10th season in Indiana after being selected with the 11th pick of the 2015 draft. The 6’11” big man has helped the Pacers reach the Eastern Conference Finals each of the past two seasons, and those back-to-back deep playoff runs have contributed to the league-wide perception that Indiana will do what it takes to retain him this summer, Fischer writes.

While Turner has been the subject of trade rumors several times during the past decade, Indiana never pulled the trigger on a deal.

With the 29-year-old on an expiring contract this season and not eligible for an extension prior to free agency, there was more speculation leading up to February’s trade deadline that he might be gettable, but the Pacers never appeared to seriously entertain the idea of moving him this year, which suggested they felt good about their odds of negotiating a new deal this offseason.

Turner’s current contract, which he signed in January 2023, was a two-year extension worth $41MM. He has made a strong case over the last two seasons for a raise on that $20.5MM annual salary, having continued to serve as the Pacers’ defensive anchor while providing strong offensive production. In 149 regular season outings since the start of 2023/24, he has averaged 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game on .503/.379/.773 shooting.

Rudy Gobert (three years, $109.5MM) and Jarrett Allen (three years, $90.7MM) are among the veteran centers who have signed contract extensions during the 2024/25 season that might come up as comparables for Turner during his upcoming negotiations. Those deals will cover Gobert’s age 33-to-35 seasons and Allen’s age 28-to-30 seasons. Turner will turn 30 next March.

Investing heavily in Turner could create some cap issues for the Pacers, who have historically remained out of luxury tax territory — they haven’t been a taxpayer since 2006 and have paid just under $9MM in total tax penalties since the system was introduced nearly 25 years ago.

Indiana already has $165MM in guaranteed money on its books next season for 10 players, with the luxury tax line projected to come in at $187.9MM. If the Pacers have to pay $30MM+ per year to re-sign Turner and want to stay out of tax territory, they’d have to shed salary elsewhere on the roster. According to Fischer, rival teams are anticipating “roster-consolidation trade conversations” in Indiana.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Carlisle, Technicals, Turner

May 10th, 2025 at 6:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tyrese Haliburton, who didn’t speak with reporters after the Pacers‘ Game 3 loss to Cleveland on Friday, explained that it was a team decision to not make him available, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Haliburton suffered through a subpar night, finishing with four points and five assists while shooting 2-of-8 from the field. Meeting with the media after Saturday’s film session, Haliburton stated that he’s always willing to be accountable no matter how he plays.

“I don’t run away from any questions. I went through harder times than last night,” he said. “Whatever you have to ask, I’ll be there. If there’s commentary around me not talking last night, people are more than allowed to approach me and have a conversation with me about it. I can’t control everything, but I don’t run from anything. If you have questions to ask, I’m right here.”

Dopirak notes that the Cavaliers made a concerted effort to control Haliburton after dropping the first two games of the series. Max Strus drew the main defensive assignment, but everyone who defended Haliburton face-guarded him and didn’t give him much room to operate. Cleveland also unveiled a 3-2 zone with Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley at the top to contest shooters. Haliburton had four of his shots blocked on Friday, with Mobley getting two of them.

“It’s an interesting dynamic, right?” Haliburton said. “A lot of teams don’t play a 3-2 and they don’t play with a seven-footer at the top. We just have to figure out how to go at it. We walked over some stuff and we saw some stuff through the course of the game that we feel comfortable with.”

There’s more from Indiana:

The Cavs made an early statement on Friday by scoring the first 11 points of the game and then finishing the first half on a 25-4 run, per Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic. Coach Rick Carlisle said his team has to do a better job of being ready to compete from the opening tip. “This is a very poor effort at the beginning of the game, through too many parts of the game. We all own it pretty clearly,” Carlisle said. “I didn’t have these guys ready for this, so I take responsibility for that. Ty had a rough game. I got to do more to get him involved, get him shots, get him in better positions to defend better, all those kinds of things.”
The Pacers were whistled for five technical fouls in the loss, but Carlisle refused to blame the referees for anything that happened, Taylor adds. “This wasn’t on the officials,” he said. “This is us not playing with enough presence, posture, disposition, whatever you want to call it. We’ve got to fix it. We’ve got 48 hours to do it. Playoff series are long, lots of ups and downs, lots of new storylines every game. From the standpoint of this game, the storyline is, we got to fight harder. We didn’t fight hard enough. They did. They outfought us.”
Myles Turner made a brief trip to the locker room after tweaking his ankle in the third quarter, but he was able to resume playing and expects to be ready for Sunday’s Game 4, Dopirak states in a separate story. “I’m fine,” Turner said. “Stuff happens. It’s the playoffs. It was a little tweak. You tape it up and you’re good to go.”

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Celebration, Turner, Depth

May 9th, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Rory Maher

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton expected to be fined for his celebration after making a game-winning three-pointer on Tuesday in Cleveland (YouTube link), but instead he received a warning from the NBA, reports Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

“I’ve been waiting for that. I’ve been waiting for that, man,” Haliburton said after Game 2, when asked about the celebration and if he expected to hear from the league. “It was just right in the moment. It was right in the moment. Yeah, man, I’ve been waiting for that. I’ll take that fine, gladly.”

As Reynold notes, Haliburton anticipated a fine because the celebration he used has resulted in several financial penalties in the past for what the league has referred to as an “obscene gesture.”

Here’s more on the Pacers, who hold a 2-0 lead on the top-seeded Cavaliers heading into Friday’s Game 3:

Haliburton has been bothered by a sore left wrist recently, which is why he wore wore a wrap during Game 2 and at Thursday’s practice. However, he said he’ll be ready for tonight’s home game, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “I’m fine,” Haliburton said. “I’ll be fine for the game. I’m all good.”
In an interview with Mark Medina of RG.org, Haliburton’s trainer, Drew Hanlen, pushed back on the idea that his client is overrated — the 25-year-old point guard was voted the NBA’s most overrated player by an anonymous poll of 90 players last month. “We clearly know that Tyrese is not overrated,” Hanlen said. “He’s the best passer and play-maker in the NBA. He’s one of the best guards in the NBA. And he impacts winning at a high level. There is proof of that. He led his team to the Eastern Conference Finals last year. This year, they already have won a series and they’re up 2-0. One of the big things that we talk about with all my athletes is, ‘It doesn’t really matter what is said. It matters what is done.’ The proof is in the results. We always talk about results being the only thing that matters. He’s got a ton of great results. We don’t really care about an anonymous poll where no one has laid their opinions out on the line.”
Center Myles Turner is in his 10th season with Indiana and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. In an interesting article for the Players’ Tribune, Turner wrote about his NBA journey, including being involved in trade rumors for several years, and his relationships with head coach Rick Carlisle and Haliburton, among other topics.
While most NBA teams shorten their rotations in the playoffs, the opposite has been true of the Pacers, who have extended their rotation to 11 players instead of their typical 10, Dopirak writes for The Indianapolis Star. Indiana’s depth and up-tempo playing style has worn down its opponents late in games, leading to a couple of dramatic comebacks. “It’s playing to exhaustion,” backup guard T.J. McConnell said. “That tires other guys out. Our depth, if all of us are able to do that, it’s hard to play against us for 48 minutes. We press all year to get ready for a series like this in the playoffs. We just gotta continue to play extremely hard on both ends of the floor.”

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