Pacers Predicted to Go After $40M Center This Offseason

The Pacers might go after this center if Myles Turner signs elsewhere.

Feb 25, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) holds the ball while Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers might have a new starting center next year for the first time in over a decade. Myles Turner is a free agent and he might look to go elsewhere if the Pacers don't pony up and pay him.

Turner is going to be the most attractive center in free agency this summer. That means that teams are going to be in bidding wars to sign him.

If the Pacers are going to re-sign him, they might have to play into the luxury tax for the first time in 20 years. That would indicate that they think the team they have now can win big.

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If Indiana deems Turner too expensive, they could move on to the trade market to get a new starting center. Bleacher Report believes they could go after Daniel Gafford in a trade.

Gafford would help replace the rim protection that the Pacers would lose if Turner signs elsewhere. They wouldn't have the same kind of 3-point shooting, though.

Gafford would help improve their interior defense. He is a little bit bigger than Turner in terms of girth, so he doesn't get pushed around as much as Turner does when defending in the post.

Tyrese Haliburton would also have a lob threat in the starting lineup, something he doesn't have right now with Turner. Turner does more on the pick-and-pop than the pick-and-roll.

The Pacers have enough offense surrounding the center position that Gafford would be an acceptable replacement. The issue is how much they would need to trade the Mavericks in order to acquire him.

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Indiana will only make a trade for someone of Gafford's caliber as a backup to Turner leaving for another team. Center is only a position of need for someone to back him up.

With Thomas Bryant and Isaiah Jackson becoming free agents, they will need to find someone to man that spot. They could always opt to bring one of them back, too.

So far this season, Gafford is averaging 12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.

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