Latest news with #MylesTurner
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pacers Were Stunned As Myles Turner Joined Bucks Without Warning
Pacers Were Stunned As Myles Turner Joined Bucks Without Warning originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The Indiana Pacers were left completely stunned after franchise cornerstone Myles Turner joined their division rivals, the Milwaukee Bucks, without warning or giving them a chance to counter the offer. Turner, who had spent a decade in Indiana and became the franchise's all-time blocks leader, had been in what the team described as 'good faith negotiations' with the front office, only for everything to unravel within hours. Kevin Pritchard, the Pacers' President of Basketball Operations, expressed both his shock and disappointment in a press conference. 'I don't want to get into the specifics of Myles because the truth is, he gave ten great years here,' Pritchard began. 'I loved having him here. I hope I'm friends with him for a long time. But I will say this: Herb Simon, Stephen Simon and the entire ownership group were fully prepared to go deep into the tax to keep him.' Pritchard emphasized that Indiana was never given a chance to counter the offer. Turner's camp reportedly did not circle back to inform them before finalizing a deal with Milwaukee, a four-year, $107 million contract featuring a player option and a 15% trade kicker. 'We were deep in conversations with Myles. And then we just saw he had accepted Milwaukee's offer. That's part of this business that is challenging. But yes, we were blindsided.' Turner's departure cuts deeper considering the budding rivalry between the Pacers and Bucks. Indiana eliminated Milwaukee in each of the last two postseasons, building real animosity between the two squads. Turner, as the Pacers' defensive anchor and longest-tenured player, was a huge part of that. His career averages of 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 36.2% shooting from three made him one of the most versatile bigs in the league. Turner's unexpected exit comes at the worst possible time for Indiana. With superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton expected to miss the entire 2025–26 season due to a torn Achilles, the Pacers had hoped to keep Turner as a pillar to stabilize the team in his absence. Now, they face the daunting task of finding a new starting center and retooling a roster that had just made the NBA Finals, falling in seven games to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the wake of this shocking departure, one trade target has emerged as a possible solution: Walker Kessler. The Utah Jazz center has drawn interest from multiple teams, including the Lakers, but the Pacers could now re-enter the picture. Kessler, a younger and cheaper defensive anchor, could be the perfect fit to replace Turner and maintain Indiana's elite interior presence while Haliburton rehabs. Milwaukee, on the other hand, pulled off an incredible cap gymnastics act to make this happen. As part of the same offseason reshuffle, they waived Damian Lillard and stretched the remaining $113 million on his contract across five years to clear the space for Turner. It's a ruthless and cold-blooded move, but one that might change the balance of power in the East. For the Pacers, it's heartbreak. For the Bucks, it's a potential story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Knicks' Jalen Brunson Calls Out Myles Turner Over Free Agency Decision
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The New York Knicks and star point guard Jalen Brunson faced off against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. They came up short, losing to the Pacers in six games. Heading into the offseason, the expectation was that Indiana would re-sign longtime starting center Myles Turner in NBA free agency. Even though Tyrese Haliburton will be out all of the 2025-26 season due to the torn Achilles he suffered in the NBA Finals, no one thought Turner was leaving. Turner shocked the NBA with his decision to leave the Pacers for a four-year, $108.9 million contract with the Central Division rival Milwaukee Bucks. Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers reacts against the Miami Heat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 17, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers reacts against the Miami Heat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 17, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo byFor years, Turner has been at the center of trade rumors and was a piece that Indiana was expected to part with at some point in time. The second that he was expected to stay with the Pacers, he bolted. Read more: Celtics Suggested as Trade Destination for 3-Time All-Star Big Man Brunson recently spoke out on his podcast about the situation. He lightly called out Turner for the way that he up and left Indiana. "I thought the Myles Turner thing was weird," Brunson said. "Like he just said, 'It's been a decade here' and all this stuff and everything, and then, boom, gone." He's not wrong. The Pacers have opened up about how the situation went down and it certainly caught them by surprise. Rick Carlisle, Indiana's head coach, spoke out about how the move unfolded. "We were talking to him — him being his agent — about returning and really out of nowhere, Milwaukee decided to waive Damian Lillard and stretch his money out. They created space to sign Myles," Carlisle said. "I think what probably happened, and this is part of negotiations with any sport, a team will say, 'Hey look, we have this offer, but if we make this offer, we need to know you're going to take it and not shop it.'" Read more: Trae Young's NBA Future Has Become a Focus Around the League Throughout his 10-year tenure with the Pacers, Turner played in 642 games and made 609 starts. He averaged 14.1 points per game to go along with 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 1.3 assists. Turner also shot 49.9 percent overall and 36.2 percent from the three-point line. Indiana went out and acquired Jay Huff in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies to help replace Turner. The Pacers also re-signed both James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson. Even though Turner leaving was a big surprise, Indiana seems to have moved on well. For more on the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"Big old soft a– want to shoot all the goddamn 3s" - Vernon Maxwell says Myles Turner was a good riddance for the Pacers
"Big old soft a– want to shoot all the goddamn 3s" - Vernon Maxwell says Myles Turner was a good riddance for the Pacers originally appeared on Basketball Network. The Indiana Pacers lost their starting center, Myles Turner, when the 29-year-old signed a four-year $107 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency. Turner was Indiana's 11th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and was the longest-tenured player on the Pacers' 2025 Eastern Conference championship team. However, after Indy allegedly low-balled him during contract negotiations, Myles departed quickly, leaving a huge hole to fill for team president Kevin Pritchard. However, according to former NBA player Vernon Maxwell, letting Turner walk away was good for the Pacers. "I like the damn trade with Myles Turner," said Mad Max on the "All the Smoke Unplugged" podcast. "Big old soft a– want to shoot all the goddamn 3's. I like that trade for Myles Turner. F–k that s–t. That big old soft motherfu—r want to shoot all the gooddamn 3's man. Get our a– on the block, man. Hopefully, he'll put his a– on the block over there." 48.6 percent of Turner's shots in 2024-25 were 3-pointers Turner has always been criticized for playing on the perimeter too much. Although he posted career highs with 2.2 3-pointers made at 39.6 percent this past season, Myles is a 6'11" center who averaged just 6.5 rebounds per game, including just 1.3 offensive rebounds, during the 2024-25 season. Although you can argue that every team has different dynamics and that we're in the 3-point era of basketball, the Pacers ranked next to last in the league in offensive rebounds at just 9.2 per game and dead last in second-chance points at just 11.2 per night. To his credit, Myles has been a very good rim protector, with a career average of 2.0 blocks per game. However, after leading the league with 3.4 blocks per game in 2021, his blocks have gone down while his 3-point shooting has gone up. Last season, 48.6 percent of Turner's shots taken were three-pointers. "You're bigger than everyone on the court, and you're keeping yourself on the perimeter the whole time. I don't mind the perimeter, but mix it in. I mean, you mix it in the block and take advantage of that, but that's crazy. You said it best, Max," added Matt 3-point shooting was big in the playoffs For all the criticism of his game, Turner is just playing the role asked of him on the team. Being a floor-spacing big man, he can draw the opposing team's big man away from the basket, making it easier for guys like Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Benedict Mathurin to penetrate. Myles' 3-point shooting also came in handy for the Pacers in the 2025 Playoffs, especially against the No.1. seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. Turner shot 4-4 from downtown in a blowout Game 4 win, and then in the next game, he hit the dagger triple that sealed the series win for the Pacers. However, even if we say Mad Max is correct, it was not a trade as he mentioned. The Pacers lost Turner without getting anyone in return, which is probably what hurts than losing Myles, per se. To make up for Turner's departure, the Pacers traded for 7'1" Jay Huff from the Memphis Grizzlies. Curiously, Huff takes more 3's than Turner, as he averaged 3.1 3-point attempts per game in just 11.7 minutes of playing time. So yeah, perhaps Turner living in the perimeter was part of the Pacers' game plan, not Myles' story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"I thought the Myles Turner thing was weird" - Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart pick their most surprising offseason move so far
"I thought the Myles Turner thing was weird" - Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart pick their most surprising offseason move so far originally appeared on Basketball Network. This year's NBA offseason hasn't been as exciting as it was advertised by Shams Charania, who said that it was going to be the craziest one ever. However, there were certain moves that caught New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart off guard, specifically the one of Damian Lillard being waived by the Milwaukee Bucks and Myles Turner signing with them instead of staying with the Indiana Pacers. In regard to Turner, both Brunson and Hart believe it was the right move. "It has to be Dame. I thought the Myles Turner thing was weird. He just spent like a decade here and all that stuff, then boom, gone," said Brunson in the latest episode of "The Roommates" show. "What's crazy about that, I feel like he was on the trading block every year. It was like yeah, we're looking to trade Myles Turner, he was there for at least five to six years." Explaining it from the player's point of view Both Brunson and Hart, who went as far as the Eastern Conference finals in this year's playoffs are all for the former Indiana Pacers big man leaving the team to transfer to a conference rival. That's because they're for their colleagues making as much money as possible. As Hart put it, it may be overlooked but NBA players should go where they feel most valued whether that means loyalty is compromised. "For NBA players, we have such a small window in our lives to make as much money as we can. So in a certain aspect, we have to be kind of selfish in that regard with respect to certain people or certain situations. It's like you have a team you've been in for a long time, you have a great relationship all this and they offer you substantially less amount of money than another team is, I mean a lot of times, you're either going to go for the money or who believes and value you more," added Hart. Turner, who was drafted by the Pacers and spent 10 years with the team, scored over 9,000 points and was a big key piece for them throughout those years. However, the relationship between both parties wasn't always smooth, as Indiana constantly put the big man on the trade block. Despite making it as far as the NBA Finals last season, the newly signed Bucks big man has made the decision to finally end the partnership with the Pacers and go to what he believes is a more competitive underwhelming offseason Aside from the Turner and Lillard saga, there were not many movements around the league. The other big move was Kevin Durant being traded to the Houston Rockets in a league-record seven-team deal but both Brunson and Hart agree that was expected so it wasn't that much of a surprise. There's also the drama between LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers but that was nothing new and had a very predictable ending. Ultimately, there may have been few moves this offseason but ones that could have major impacts in terms of competition this coming season — especially for Brunson and Hart's story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Top NBA free-agent point guards: Damian Lillard returns to the Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard being waived by the Milwaukee Bucks under the stretch provision certainly changed the landscape for the Bucks, who used the flexibility to sign free-agent center Myles Turner. But Lillard's availability also impacted the free-agent market. A number of teams pursued him even though he will not play next season. He ultimately agreed to return to the Portland Trail Blazers on a three-year, $42 million contract. Let's look at the rest of the point guard free-agent market. (Note: Positions are being determined off Basketball-Reference's positional breakdowns, meaning a player will be listed at the position in which he played the most minutes. So if you're looking for James Harden and Kyrie Irving, you'll find them in the shooting guard section.) Free-agent position rankings: Shooting guards | Small forwards | Power forwards | Centers 1. Fred VanVleet, Houston Rockets Status: Agreed to a 2-year, $50 million deal Since becoming an All-Star in 2022, VanVleet has seen his scoring diminish every year since. That doesn't mean he isn't important to the Rockets as their main facilitator, but almost $45 million for a guy who barely cracked 14 points and didn't even crack 38% shooting overall is a lot. Given that this year's market flat-out isn't flush with cash, the Rockets were wise to decline the $44.9 million option and negotiate a deal at a lesser price. 2. Chris Paul, San Antonio Spurs Status: Unrestricted free agent Paul loved his stay in San Antonio, which is worth noting in terms of his future, but the franchise did not make the postseason, which you have to assume is a priority to him. Also a priority is spending time with his family, which means he's likely exploring all angles. At 40 years old, could one of those options be retirement? What makes sense: With Paul residing in California, and the Lakers acquiring Luka Dončić this past season, it may make sense to link up with him and LeBron James, the latter of whom is a close friend. 4. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers Status: Agreed to a 3-year, $42 million deal Lillard unexpectedly his the free-agent market while also rehabbing a torn Achilles. That didn't matter to the Trail Blazers, who were interested in bringing back one of the greatest players in franchise history. Lillard is a future Hall of Famer and one of the best shooters in league history. He also isn't going to play next season while he recovers. 3. Tyus Jones, Orlando Magic Status: Agreed to a 1-year, $7 million deal Jones' plan of signing with the Suns for a starting role and perhaps competing for a title didn't go as planned as Phoenix failed to make the postseason. Could this influence his value? Given that he signed a minimum deal last summer, the arrow only points up. The 29-year-old remains one of the league's most secure ball-handlers and a strong 3-point shooter (41.4%), which virtually everyone has a use for. Being a backup point guard on a good Magic team is a fine role for Jones. 4. Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls Status: Restricted free agent The raw numbers make Giddey look like a future All-Star, but the advanced numbers unearth several concerning areas, such as a general shooting inefficiency and defensive issues — two key elements for most highly paid players in today's league. Chicago, however, appears to love the guy, which raises the question: Will it make him an offer outright, as opposed to letting him go through restricted free agency? If the Bulls jump the gun, that could add several million onto the books. What makes sense: The Bulls hold all the cards here. Entering free agency believing otherwise could prove catastrophic. Let someone else dictate his market, because odds are good no one will break the bank for him despite the headline-grabbing stats. 5. Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies Status: Agreed to a 3-year, $28 million deal There's no question Jerome turned in one of the most surprising seasons of any player in the league, as he carved out a role for himself on one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, thus significantly raising his own value. Jerome will add depth and shooting to the Grizzlies' backcourt as they retool around the newly extended Jaren Jackson Jr. Best of the rest 6. Malcolm Brogdon, Washington Wizards Status: Unrestricted free agent The 32-year-old is efficient and effective when on the floor, but his injury history indicates his floor time will be limited. Teams are keenly aware of this, so while he'll have several suitors, don't expect anyone to hand out a large contract. He'd make an interesting fit with the Lakers as a backup to Luka Dončić. 7. D'Angelo Russell, Dallas Mavericks Status: Agreed to a 2-year, $13 million deal Russell has reached the point in his career, where the secret is out. He's not year-to-year consistent in his performance, and his defensive warts remain substantial. He can score a bit, shoot a bit and pass a bit, but rarely put it all together. 8. Dennis Schröder, Sacramento Kings Status: Agreed to a 3-year, $45 million deal Schröder is capable, he's fast and he can get you points if you need them, even if you need them at a scaled up capacity. However, he remains an iffy shooter, his defense isn't what it once was, and he's getting older.
