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Did the Pacers dodge a bullet not signing Turner?

Myles Turner hasn't been up to standard in Milwaukee
Austin Dobbins|
Jun 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) blocks a shot by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) in the third quarter during game six of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Jun 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) blocks a shot by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) in the third quarter during game six of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers let Myles Turner walk this past offseason and although the season is off to a terrible start, it appears they may have made the right decision.

A trend throughout Turner's career

A look at Myles Turner’s career arc makes one thing clear: his best basketball came when Tyrese Haliburton was setting the table for him in Indiana. Before Haliburton’s arrival, Turner was a decent-but-inconsistent big who hovered around 12 points and 6 rebounds on middling efficiency. Once Haliburton took over as the Pacers’ engine, Turner’s production jumped across the board. His scoring, rebounding, shooting percentages, and overall impact all climbed noticeably, and it became obvious how much he benefited from Haliburton’s elite playmaking.

But once Haliburton was removed from the picture, Turner’s numbers dipped right back toward his pre-Haliburton levels: lower scoring, similar rebounding, and a significant drop in efficiency inside the arc. The pattern is hard to ignore. When he plays with an elite initiator, he looks like a high-end two-way big. Without that support, he looks like the version of Turner Indiana had already spent years evaluating.

The start in Milwaukee

Despite that warning sign, Milwaukee invested four years and $108 million in him with the expectation that he could be a hub of their offense, a floor spacer, and an anchor on defense. Instead, he has struggled. His rebounding has fallen to a low we haven't seen since he was a rookie, his scoring has dipped below what he produced the last three seasons, and his efficiency has slipped in areas the Bucks badly needed him to stabilize.

Even more troubling, he hasn’t helped the team win. For someone who was supposed to be a closer, he’s logging the eighth-most fourth-quarter minutes on the roster. That simply cannot happen for a player making $25 million a year, and it reflects a lack of trust from Doc Rivers, who has turned to Bobby Portis and even Jericho Sims in high-leverage moments.

Turner has collected just 15 rebounds across his last six games while the Bucks have dropped 10 of 12. With Giannis out, this was Turner’s opportunity to step forward and show he could carry more responsibility. Instead, he’s disappeared.

So, was it the right choice?

And that’s where the question flips: did the Pacers actually make the right decision moving on from him? Turner was important to their Finals run, but his success has always been heavily tied to Haliburton. Without Haliburton’s gravity and creation, Turner looks far more ordinary. As Indiana now waits to see how Haliburton returns from his torn Achilles, they may feel even more confident that avoiding Turner’s contract and avoiding dependence on a player who hasn’t proven he can thrive without their star was the right call all along.

As I discuss here, in limited minutes, Jay Huff is playing at an equal level to Turner, while being paid far less, a disappointing fall for Turner, but a fact that further reinforces the front offices decision.

And for the fans, it may feel nice as Turner left for a rival, and the way things have unfolded suggests the Pacers’ front office had a strong read on his long-term value. Whether Milwaukee can turn things around with him remains to be seen, but Indiana won’t regret its decision.

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Austin Dobbins
AUSTIN DOBBINS

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