Myles Turner Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacers Will Look To Re-Sign Turner Without Going Into Tax

March 29th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers “absolutely” want to re-sign center Myles Turner when he reaches unrestricted free agency this summer, team sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Insider link).

However, as Windhorst details, the Pacers’ cap situation would complicate those negotiations. Indiana already has approximately $165MM in guaranteed salaries on its 2025/26 books for just 10 players, not including Turner. The luxury tax line projects to come in at just under $188MM and Indiana has no plans to surpass that threshold next season, sources tell ESPN.

Turner, meanwhile, is making $19.9MM in ’24/25 and will likely be seeking a raise on the heels of another strong season. The big man is averaging 15.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.6 assists in 30.6 minutes per game across 65 outings. He’s also making a career-best 40.2% of his three-pointers on a career-high 5.5 attempts per contest.

As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps observes in the same story, a lack of league-wide cap room could hurt Turner in negotiations, since there will be few rival suitors in position to make a competitive offer for the 29-year-old. Still, it’s hard to imagine Indiana bringing him back at a price that would allow the team to fill out its roster and remain out of tax territory without shedding at least a little salary elsewhere.

Windhorst and Bontemps don’t identify any specific players who might emerge as trade candidates for salary-dump purposes, but the team may soon have to make decisions on swingman Bennedict Mathurin ($9.2MM salary in 2025/26; extension-eligible this offseason), who has been in and out of the starting lineup, and forward Jarace Walker ($6.7MM salary in ’25/26; $8.5MM team option for ’26/27), who hasn’t been a consistent part of the rotation since January.

Forward Obi Toppin, who is owed about $45MM over the next three seasons beyond this one and is averaging fewer than 20 minutes per game, could also be an odd man out, though his longer-term deal might make it harder for the Pacers to maximize his value on the trade market.

NBA Fines Trendon Watford, Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard

March 21st, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets forward Trendon Watford, Pacers center Myles Turner, and Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard were each fined by the NBA on Friday night for their roles in a Thursday altercation, according to a press release from the league (Twitter link).

Watford and Turner were hit with fines of $35K apiece, while Nembhard received a $20K penalty.

As we detailed earlier today, the altercation began as Bennedict Mathurin was driving to Brooklyn’s basket for a layup during the fourth quarter of Indiana’s victory. Watford and Nembhard engaged in a little pushing and shoving away from the play before Turner entered the fray and shoved Watford (YouTube link via ESPN). Both teams got involved at that point, with coaches and officials eventually separating the two sides.

Nembhard and Watford received double technical fouls for their exchange, as did Turner and Watford for theirs. As a result of being hit with two technicals, Watford was automatically ejected from the game.

According to the NBA, Nembhard and Watford were both responsible for initiating the skirmish, but Watford escalated it when he “delivered a right forearm to (Nembhard’s) chest region.” Turner was also considered to have escalated matters by shoving Watford.

Relative to their full-season salaries, the fines are more significant for Watford, who is earning $2.73MM, and Nembhard ($2.02MM) than they are for Turner, whose cap hit this season is $19.93MM.

Nets’ Watford Ejected Following Scuffle With Pacers

March 21st, 2025 at 11:10am CST by Rory Maher

Nets forward Trendon Watford was ejected in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s overtime loss to Indiana following a brief scuffle with Pacers players Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner, as The Associated Press relays.

Prior to a driving basket by Bennedict Mathurin, Watford pushed Nembhard with one arm, then the two shoulder shoved each other with one arm apiece after the field goal (YouTube link via ESPN). Turner quickly entered the fray and shoved Watford, who responded by pushing back. Both teams entered the scuffle at that point, with coaches and officials eventually separating the two sides.

The video only shows the play and its aftermath, so it’s unclear who initially instigated the incident.

Nembhard and Watford received double technical fouls for their exchange, as did Turner and Watford for theirs. Watford was automatically ejected after being hit with two technicals.

For his part, Turner largely downplayed the incident after the game, saying he was just standing up for his teammate Nembhard, who is considerably smaller than Watford.

“We’re preparing for the playoffs,” Turner said. “You’re going to have moments like that in the playoffs. So to be battle tested, let it not be a surprise and be able to control your emotions when everything’s high – that’s an underrated thing in this league.”

Eastern Notes: Ball, Turner, Vucevic, Agbaji, Raptors

March 17th, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hornets head coach Charles Lee heaps a lot of praise on his star player LaMelo Ball. However, there are areas where Ball can continue to grow, he told Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer.

“The goal for him is to continue to get better every day and I think try to work on his leadership,” Lee said. “But outside of the leadership, just being a great two-way player on both sides of the court. I think that goes into how he can continue to lead by example with his daily defensive preparation. I think that I’ve seen a lot more on-ball pressure, shift activity and multiple efforts from him over the last couple of weeks, which has been great for himself, for our team.

“And I think offensively he continues to take what the game is giving him, which was a big part of our success last game (in San Antonio). If they are going to put two on the ball, he’s trusting the pass, he’s trusting his teammates. If they don’t put two on the ball, it’s a great opportunity for him to be able to score. There’s so many elements that he can continue to add to his game, certainly with the ball. He’s getting better off the ball and that’s all we can ask of him, is to continue to compete and trust his teammates and keep building his leadership.”

In 44 starts, Ball is averaging a career-best 25.4 points, 7.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds. He’s considered a player to monitor going forward as a possible trade candidate, though at least one report suggested the Hornets have no interest in moving him.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

The Pacers have struggled recently, dropping four of their last six games. Big man Myles Turner feels Indiana can still make a deep run in the postseason, as it did last spring. “We just have all the pieces we need. I think that at times, sometimes teams are like, ‘If only we had this, if only we had that.’ That’s not really the case for us,” Turner told Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda.com. “I think we have everything we need to compete. It’s just a matter of making all the pieces fit and just get hot at the right time.”
The Bulls currently hold the last play-in spot in the East. Center Nikola Vucevic, a prime trade candidate this offseason as his contract expires after next season, says he remains focused on the postseason. “I’m totally focused on being here and trying to help the team make this push,” Vucevic told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. “Regardless of what’s going on, I try to stay professional. I want to be a teammate that brings it every day, works hard. You don’t want to be the guy where everybody is locked in, and you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing. Totally locked in. Trying to find my rhythm with the [calf] injury. I think if we get healthy, we have a shot, and we’ll see where that takes us.”
Raptors wing Ochai Agbaji returned on Sunday after missing seven games due to an ankle sprain. He made a significant impact, Michael Grange of Sportnet notes. Agbaji finished with 19 points in a three-point loss to the Trail Blazers while displaying his usual defensive work ethic and athleticism. Toronto has already exercised its $6,383,525 option on Agbaji for next season. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension beginning in July.
Any efforts the Raptors have made to go into tank mode are being neutralized by some of the other teams aiming for the lottery, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Toronto won games against Washington, Philadelphia and Utah last week.

Pacers Notes: Turner, Mathurin, Nesmith, Okafor

February 21st, 2025 at 8:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Returning from a neck injury on Thursday and playing for the first time in two weeks, Pacers center Myles Turner looked fully healthy, logging a team-high 33 minutes as Indiana outscored Memphis by 22 points during his time on the court. Turner led the Pacers to an impressive victory over the Grizzlies by contributing 17 points, 10 rebounds, and seven blocked shots.

As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes, Turner’s performance was a reminder of why the Pacers showed no interest in trading him at this month’s deadline despite his uncertain contract situation.

“He’s a very integral part of what we do and why our offense has been so good over these last couple years,” point guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “To get him back really helps.”

“He was huge around the basket,” head coach Rick Carlisle added. “The seven blocks were enormous in this game. And when he gets a double-double, we’re very, very difficult to beat.”

Turner won’t become extension-eligible prior to his unrestricted free agency this summer and there has been some outside speculation that the Pacers won’t be comfortable giving him a significant raise on his current $19.9MM salary. However, the fact that Indiana didn’t seriously entertain the idea of moving the big man by Feb. 6 suggests the club has a level of confidence in its ability to retain him beyond this season.

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Although Bennedict Mathurin played very well as a starter for most of the season, Carlisle believes having Aaron Nesmith in the starting five and Mathurin coming off the bench makes the most sense for the team as a whole, Dopirak writes for The Indianapolis Star. “It doesn’t matter who starts,” Carlisle said earlier this week. “What matters is we’re doing what’s best for the team. We have great guys. We communicate very carefully with them about these decisions. … I don’t like a lot of upheaval. I don’t like lineup changes, all that kinda stuff. But when something like this comes along and there’s so much evidence that it’s the right thing for so many reasons analytically and probably with the eye test too, you’ve gotta take note.”
As Dopirak points out, with Mathurin eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason, it’s fair to wonder how playing with the second unit – or bouncing back and forth between starter and bench roles – will affect his development and his value. For his part, the 22-year-old doesn’t sound worried about it. “For me, it’s the same thing whether I start or not or come off the bench,” Mathurin said. “I still have the same mentality. At the end of the day, we have 29 games left. Everybody’s trying to win and trying go to the playoffs and have a deep run again. I feel like everybody has the same mindset and that’s pretty much what we need.”
Jahlil Okafor‘s 10-day contract with the Pacers expired on Thursday night. A source tells Dopirak that the team doesn’t have any plans to re-sign Okafor or fill his roster spot with a new player right away. The former No. 3 overall pick, who would be eligible for a second 10-day deal with Indiana, will return to the club’s G League affiliate for the time being, Dopirak adds.

And-Ones: 2025 FAs, College Jobs, MCW, WNBA, More

February 20th, 2025 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

A series of contract extensions have depleted the star-level talent in the NBA’s 2025 free agent class, but there will still be some notable names to watch this summer, as Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) detail.

Both Pincus and Marks have longtime NBA stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden atop their lists of 2025 free agents, with Marks positing that no player will have more leverage this offseason than Irving, given how badly the Mavericks need to retain the veteran point guard following the trade of Luka Doncic.

After James, Irving, and Harden, who have combined for 41 career All-Star appearances, the next tier of free agents consists of players like Myles Turner, Fred VanVleet, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Timberwolves power forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Interestingly, Pincus has Reid ranked ahead of the three-time All-Star he backs up, placing Reid at No. 5 and Randle at No. 7 in his early FA rankings.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As is typical at this time of year, a number of NBA coaches and executives are receiving interest for jobs at the college basketball level, notes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Fischer mentions Hornets executive Buzz Peterson and veteran player agent Jim Tanner as possible candidates for UNC’s general manager job and says Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Suns assistant David Fizdale, and Bucks assistant Dave Joerger are among the names to watch for the University of Miami’s head coaching position. Fischer adds that Kings assistant Luke Loucks has been linked to Florida State’s head coaching opening.
Former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams is involved in a bid to bring an WNBA expansion franchise to Boston, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. With expansion teams lined up for San Francisco, Portland, Toronto, and Cleveland, the WNBA will have 16 clubs by 2028, so it’s unclear whether or not the league will be looking to expand beyond that number right away.
Passing along the results of a player poll from All-Star weekend, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes that the 14 respondents were unanimously against the idea of 10-minute quarters floated last month by commissioner Adam Silver. However, 12 of those 14 players liked the new All-Star tournament format.
The Lakers‘ and Pistons‘ G League affiliates completed a trade on Wednesday, with the South Bay Lakers acquiring forward Cole Swider from the Motor City Cruise in exchange for Chris Silva‘s returning rights and a 2025 first-round pick, per a press release. Silva is currently playing overseas, but Swider has been active in the G League and will begin suiting up for South Bay.

Injury Notes: Edwards, Knicks, Turner, Wade, Thomas, LaMelo

February 19th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers rookie Justin Edwards sprained his left ankle during a post-All-Star practice this week, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link).

The injury will cost Edwards at least a couple games. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), the 21-year-old has been ruled out for Thursday vs. Boston and Saturday vs. Brooklyn. The plan is for him to be reevaluated early next week.

The Sixers could be shorthanded in the backcourt coming out of the All-Star break. Kyle Lowry (hip) and Eric Gordon (wrist), who each missed the last two games prior to the break, didn’t participate in practice on Tuesday, Bodner notes. Lonnie Walker‘s reported deal with the team also isn’t yet official.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson and forward OG Anunoby both fully participated in Wednesday’s practice, which included a 5-on-5 scrimmage, per head coach Tom Thibodeau (Twitter link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv). It was the first time this season that Robinson has advanced to 5-on-5 with contact. While the big man has yet to make his season debut following offseason ankle surgery, Anunoby has been out for five games due to a right foot sprain.
Myles Turner missed the Pacers‘ last three games before the All-Star break due to a cervical strain, but is expected to be available on Thursday vs. Memphis, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
Cavaliers forward Dean Wade appears likely to sit out on Thursday during the first half of a back-to-back set before making his return on Friday, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Wade has been on the shelf since January 24 due to a right knee bone bruise.
Nets guard Cam Thomas will take part in his first 5-on-5 scrimmage on Thursday since going down with a hamstring strain on January 2, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).
Hornets star LaMelo Ball is listed as probable to play on Wednesday vs. the Lakers (Twitter link), so it appears the right ankle sprain he sustained on February 10 wasn’t a significant one.

Alex Len Waived By Wizards, Will Sign With Pacers

February 8th, 2025 at 9:31pm CST by Luke Adams

9:31pm: Len has been placed on waivers, the Wizards announced (via Twitter).

1:12pm: After acquiring him earlier this week, the Wizards will cut center Alex Len, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Charania, Len intends to sign with the Pacers after he clears waivers.

The fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft, Len never became the sort of impact player his lofty draft position might suggest, but he has been a reliable frontcourt option for 12 NBA seasons, spending time with the Suns, Hawks, Raptors, Wizards, and Kings.

The 31-year-old Ukrainian has spent the last few seasons as a depth piece in Sacramento, where he made 149 appearances (15 starts) over the course of three-and-a-half seasons, averaging 3.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game.

Len was sent from the Kings to the Wizards along with Colby Jones in a three-team deadline-day deal that saw the Kings receive Jake LaRavia from Memphis. Despite trading away big men Jonas Valanciunas and Marvin Bagley III this week, Washington didn’t feel the need to retain Len, who will get an opportunity to join a playoff-bound team in the East.

The Pacers opened the season with Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman backing up starting center Myles Turner, but both reserves suffered Achilles tears during the season’s opening days, decimating the team’s depth in the middle.

Although Indiana traded for Thomas Bryant in December, the club could still use some another trustworthy veteran option as injury insurance, especially with Turner currently dealing with a neck strain.

The Pacers sent Wiseman to Toronto in a salary dump trade on Thursday, which both opened up a spot on their 15-man roster and created enough room below the luxury tax line to sign Len to a rest-of-season contract. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), Indiana was only $147K below the tax threshold before making that deal.

Pacers Aren’t Looking To Trade Andrew Nembhard, Myles Turner

January 31st, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Moving Andrew Nembhard before the trade deadline could help avoid a tax issue next season, but the Pacers are more focused on winning than their financial future, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Nembhard, a 25-year-old guard, is only making $2MM this season, but that will increase to $18.1MM when his extension begins in 2025/26. Katz notes that Indiana could deal him now for a low-salaried player and create a significant savings on next year’s payroll. Because he was a second-round pick in 2022, Nembhard isn’t affected by base year compensation language in the collective bargaining agreement.

However, Katz hears that the Pacers view Nembhard as part of their future and plan to hold onto him even if it means going into luxury tax territory for the first time in 20 years. Sources tell Katz that teams have inquired about Nembhard’s availability, but haven’t been able to make any progress in trade talks.

Nembhard is averaging career highs with 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in his third NBA season. Katz notes that Indiana is better by 15 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the court, which is the fourth-best differential in the league.

The Pacers currently have 10 players under contract for next season at a total cost of about $165MM, which is $23MM short of the projected tax line. That’s without starting center Myles Turner, who is on an expiring $19.9MM contract and has been the subject of recent trade rumors.

Indiana would almost certainly be in tax territory if Turner is re-signed, but league sources tell Katz that “all signs” point to Turner not being traded before next week’s deadline. He adds that the Pacers have surged to fifth place in the East after a slow start and have no desire to weaken their roster before the playoffs.

Katz hears that Obi Toppin, who’s on the books for $14MM next season, has been discussed with other teams, though sources tell him there “hasn’t been much traction” toward a deal. Katz suggests Indiana may be able to trade Toppin for an expiring deal now, whereas waiting until the summer and just unloading his contract at that point might mean giving up draft assets to anyone willing to take on his contract.

Trade Rumors: Butler, Suns, Turner, Johnson, Mathurin, Lakers

January 30th, 2025 at 5:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Although the Heat have lowered their asking price for Jimmy Butler, they have yet to find a trade package they like, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links), who hears from a source that the Suns remain the most “aggressive” team in pursuit of the six-time All-Star. However, Miami still has no interest in taking on Bradley Beal and his no trade-clause.

Jackson reiterates that the Heat are “determined” to move Butler, but if they’re unable to before next Thursday’s deadline, they’ll still have some options in the offseason. Of course, that scenario glosses over the issue of having to deal with more Butler-related drama for the rest of the 2024/25 campaign.

According to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, league executives keep circling back to the Grizzlies as a possible dark horse suitor for Butler, even though they were warned by his camp not to trade for him.

Here are some more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Both Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times and veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Substack link) hear the Pacers are receiving trade inquiries on Myles Turner, though there’s skepticism around the league that Indiana will move its starting center. As both writers point out, the Pacers have been surging up the Eastern Conference standings and are determined to make a strong playoff push, so trading Turner might hurt the team’s chemistry. According to Stein, Indiana would want at least another starting-caliber center in return for Turner to even contemplate moving the impending free agent.
Indiana’s improved play of late might make the Pacers reluctant to part with significant assets to acquire Nets forward Cameron Johnson, according to Stein. Rival teams think the Pacers may need to trade some of their wing depth — either by next week or the offseason — to free up their books to re-sign Turner in free agency. With that in mind, Bennedict Mathurin could be worth monitoring, but Indiana values him — Woike hears the Pacers would want a player it likes plus a first-round pick in exchange for the 22-year-old, who was selected sixth overall in the 2022 draft.
Woike’s story is largely focused on the Lakers and their trade options. As Woike explains, while the front office is open to trading both of the team’s available first-round picks, coming up with “realistic” scenarios is tricky for a number of reasons — including the high asking price for starting centers. For example, the Jazz may not be willing to trade Walker Kessler even if the Lakers offered both first-rounders, according to Woike, who highlights several other possible trade candidates in his story, including Malcolm Brogdon, whom the Wizards may be willing to part with for second-round draft capital.