Notes On Myles Turner’s New Deal With Pacers

The Pacers‘ ability to use their remaining cap room as part of Myles Turner‘s extension makes the deal extremely team-friendly over the next two seasons, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

Turner will receive an extra $17.1MM for the current season as part of a renegotiation that adds two years to his contract. Dopirak notes that he will earn $21MM in 2023/24, which is less than 16% of a projected $134MM salary cap. Turner will take up an even smaller percentage of the cap in 2024/25, when his salary declines to $20MM. As Dopirak points out, that’s significant because 2024/25 will be the first year of Tyrese Haliburton‘s expected extension.

Turner is putting up career numbers this season, which has coincided with his full-time move back to center after Domantas Sabonis was traded to the Kings at last year’s deadline.

“He’s been itching to play the five,” lead assistant coach Lloyd Pierce said. “What that means and what it does is it puts him into the action in terms of setting screens, being in trail, reversing the ball through him. Any player knows when they get to touch the basketball, whether they’re shooting it, passing it or just reversing it, it just engages their mind a little bit.

“We’re seeing him finish at the rim. We’re seeing him get more shots at the rim this year. We’re seeing him make a concerted effort to get offensive rebounds, especially against teams that switch and he’s got a smaller guy on him. But I think he’s embracing the role. I think he’s embracing the physical nature that we need from him.”

Here’s more on Turner’s renegotiation and extension with the Pacers:

• There are conflicting interpretations on whether the rules related to renegotiations in the Collective Bargaining Agreement would allow Turner to be traded prior to the February 9 deadline. ESPN’s Bobby Marks stated on Saturday that Turner remains trade-eligible, and cap expert Larry Coon agrees with that interpretation (Twitter link), but Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) isn’t so sure. As Pincus notes (via Twitter), the language in the CBA is vague, indicating that a renegotiation can’t be completed in conjunction with a trade, but not providing any information on whether a player could be traded a week or two after finalizing a renegotiation.
• The CBA provides specific guidelines for extensions and trades, making players ineligible to be dealt for six months if their new contract exceeds the extend-and-trade limits (Turner’s doesn’t). For now, we’re assuming Turner remains trade-eligible, but the extension seemingly eliminates the Pacers’ motivation for moving him, since they no longer have to worry about losing him for nothing in free agency this summer.
• Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files hears that Turner’s agent Austin Brown and the Pacers’ front office were engaged in contract negotiations over the last two weeks, with the agreement being finalized during the last 48 hours.
• The Pacers will still have approximately $10.7MM in cap room after completing their deal with Turner, Marks states in a YouTube video breaking down the renegotiation and extension. Indiana’s team salary is now above this season’s minimum salary floor, Agness notes.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.