On Friday, the Minnesota Timberwolves signed big man Naz Reid to a new five-year, $125 million deal, and this may not bode well for the Indiana Pacers now that the free agency market has been set for this offseason, which could make it too expensive for them to bring back Myles Turner.
A few months ago, it looked like a no-brainer decision for Indiana to re-sign Turner this summer. However, following his poor performance in the NBA Finals, this no longer seems to be the case. Additionally, there are concerns about what Turner's asking price may be as it will likely force them into the luxury tax at least for next season.
Reid is a fantastic player who won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2024. However, Turner is more established and is a proven starter, and it is fair to assume he will demand a bigger contract. One that may put the Pacers in a financial crunch for the foreseeable future.
The Pacers have a big Myles Turner decision to make
There are a ton of reasons for and against the Pacers bringing their long-time big man back this summer. On one hand, he has been a key part of the roster for a decade and is a perfect fit in their system. The Pacers will struggle to replace Turner if he departs in free agency, especially since it is going to be next to impossible to find another big man who can stretch the floor and protect the rim as well as he can. Additionally, while he struggled during the NBA Finals, the Texas native still played a huge role in the team getting there in the first place.
On the flip side, however, there are obvious flaws in Turner's game, and there are reasons to believe the Pacers may be better off looking elsewhere if they want to contend. The 29-year-old has never been a good rebounder, and that was made clear in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who should remain in title contention for a long time. Additionally, if his shot isn't falling, Turner does not provide much offensive value otherwise.
The most important question is not whether the Pacers should bring Turner back, but instead, whether they are willing to pay whatever his asking price is going to be, even if it does not bode well for their long-term financial situation.
Indiana will have an incredibly difficult decision to make in the offseason regarding Turner, and there is a fair argument for both sides. Ultimately, it seems that the most likely option is that the Pacers will re-sign him in free agency, even if it means they will move into the luxury tax. Only time will tell if this is the right call (or if it even happens in the first place as nothing is official yet), but the pros to bringing him back outweigh the cons.
Following Reid's new contract with the Timberwolves, Turner's asking price may be set in stone. Even so, the Pacers might be better off bringing him back no matter what as they have already proved they can contend with him in their lineup.