Rick Carlisle Says Pacers Were Happy to Go Into Luxury Tax to Retain Myles Turner

The Pacers' head coach made it known that they were not too cheap to try to bring back Myles Turner.

Mar 20, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) slaps hands with Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle as he goes to the bench during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images | Nell Redmond-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers will no longer have Myles Turner manning the middle. He decided to leave Indiana after 10 seasons with the franchise, opting to sign a four-year, $108.9 million deal.

Turner was in the midst of negotiating with the Pacers before he decided to bolt for Milwaukee. It was a move that caught the Pacers by surprise, but they were accused of being cheap.

Head coach Rick Carlisle wants to set the record straight. He recently said that Indiana was prepared to go into the luxury tax in order to retain Turner.

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Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle claims the franchise wanted to keep Myles Turner at all costs

While speaking on The Fan Morning Show, Carlisle made it clear that the team would have gone into the luxury tax to keep Turner.

"Everything that Kevin Pritchard said is absolutely true. The franchise was ready to go as far into the tax as we needed to keep him. But, you know, things can change quickly, and they did."

Carlisle understands that the Bucks came out of nowhere to create this salary cap space in order to bring Turner in. It was also a negotiating tactic to have him get that kind of offer.

It was the kind of offer that he either had to take or leave, without shopping for it. The Pacers were not given an opportunity to match, which was Turner's prerogative.

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The Indiana Pacers will now move on without Myles Turner at center

With Turner no longer in Indiana, the Pacers will move on with someone else starting at that spot. He will be an enemy at least four times per year when the Pacers and Bucks face off against each other.

Turner did a lot for the franchise, and fans will soften on him as time goes on. He likely will still get cheered when he returns for the first time to play against the Pacers, but it might not be as loud as he wants.

This past season, Turner averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. He shot 48.1 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

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