The Indiana Pacers made headlines by agreeing with Myles Turner on a contract renegotiation and extension ahead of the NBA trade deadline. The team leveraged their cap space to give him an additional $17.1 million this season, creating the largest renegotiation in the history of the NBA.
The team can leverage a 40 percent salary decline for the extension next year when facilitating a renegotiation. Turner will go from earning just over $35 million for this season after the adjusted figure to receiving $20.9 million in 2023-24 and then $19.9 million in 2024-25. Since he did not receive an extension that exceeds three years with eight percent eligible raises, he remains trade eligible.
One NBA executive explained to NBA Analysis Network that Turner has greater trade value after receiving his contraction renegotiation and extension and creates a unique advantage for the Pacers’ front office when navigating scenarios.
“It’s hard to get a return you like when a player is on an expiring contract. It’s much easier for the Pacers to trade Turner after that renegotiation and extension. They almost have a unique advantage now. They can take back a lot more salary in a trade, and he’s got more value. He’s a great fit with Tyrese Haliburton, but this is a rare opportunity.”
Turner is averaging a career-high 17.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game this season. He’s also shooting an impressive 54.6 percent from the floor and 39.5 percent from 3-point range. With his continued elite defensive impact, he’s been able to showcase a fuller arsenal offensively by shifting to a full-time center role.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Myles Turner & Indiana Pacers Updates
After maintaining a high degree of professionalism after the Ayton situation, Turner has experienced much success playing next to Tyrese Haliburton — the first pass-first point guard with dynamic attributes of Turner’s NBA career. Would they actually trade him?
The Pacers intend to pursue upgrades at the power forward spot alongside Turner instead of trading him. That’s a fair approach considering it’s hard to find a center as versatile and talented as him. He fits well with Tyrese Haliburton and can continue as a building block.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Myles Turner & Indiana Pacers Updates
If the Pacers did want to go the trade route with Turner, they could get creative with the type of return to take on additional assets, as the NBA executive told us. A team would need to part with greater value in return to acquire the elite shot blocker now and could send even more assets for Indiana to be incentivized to take on greater salary.
