Indiana Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard discusses Myles Turner's contract extension
The Indiana Pacers made their contract extension agreement with Myles Turner official on Monday. Per many reports, and confirmed by AllPacers, the extension is a renegotiation-and-extension deal that adds two years on to Turner's contract and gives him nearly $60 million in new money.
The Pacers held a press conference on Monday to announce the deal and explain what led to Turner putting pen to paper. "I have such a strong belief in this organization and this city," Turner said in the entry pavilion of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He was sitting between Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle and President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard.
There were many reasons that made it make sense for the Pacers and Turner to agree to extend their partnership. The eight-year pro fits well with the team's young core, he's become a better leader, and he has improved dramatically on the court. That, combined with the fact that it made financial sense for both Turner and the Pacers to agree to these terms, made a deal possible.
Pritchard spent about 14 minutes speaking with local reporters about Turner, the contract extension, and the negotiation process on Monday. He was initially asked what he thought was the biggest reason that an extension with Turner was the right choice for Indiana.
"I saw something in games between [Tyrese Haliburton] and Myles that I thought could be really special," Pritchard answered. In 897 minutes with both players on the floor this season, the Pacers have outscored their opponents by 79 points, per pbpstats.
Then, the Pacers decision maker continued to list reasons why Turner is still a good fit with Indiana. "I've seen Myles growing into more of a leader," he noted, citing Turner's emotional leadership during games. "He's 26 years old. He's still a part of our timeline. It just made sense."
Turner is now tied to the franchise through the 2024-25 season. Prior to this extension, his contract was set to expire at the end of the ongoing season. The blue and gold had to decide what made the most sense between trading Turner, running the risk of losing him in free agency, or renegotiating and extending his contract using their cap space.
"We were in a unique circumstance this year," Pritchard said of the Pacers salary situation. He said that Indiana's front office discussed the best use of its space and determined that this path forward was their best option.
"We want to use it (cap space) on our own players, and specifically Myles. [We] couldn't find a better use for it," Pritchard said of the team's cap space. "And it wasn't even a close second. At the end of the day, we want to reward Myles."
The deadline for a renegotiation and extension style transaction is March 1. The Pacers could have waited until after the trade deadline to make this move, and in theory that would have slightly increased their flexibility. They would have had more options.
But to the Pacers, there was no point in waiting. They had been in negotiations with Turner's agency for about a month, and it was time to get a deal done.
"Let's send a message. Send a message to the kid that we want him," Pritchard said of the Pacers thinking.
In the end, this agreement makes sense for everyone. Turner gets enough money to stay out of free agency and gets the opportunity to play a role he has craved. It helps that Haliburton is there to set him up.
The Pacers, meanwhile, continue their long-term approach to team building by locking up the talented Turner for two-plus seasons while still maintaining flexibility. They also climbed over the salary floor for the ongoing season. Both parties can walk away from this agreement feeling good about their situation.
Now, the Pacers can move forward with more of their current core locked up. Myles Turner is a Pacer, and his skills and leadership will add to the roster going forward.
- Why a contract extension made sense for the Indiana Pacers and Myles Turner. CLICK HERE.
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- Report: Indiana Pacers were 'finalist' for Rui Hachimura before Los Angeles Lakers trade. CLICK HERE.
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