Myles Turner says Pacers’ stalled talks pushed him to Bucks
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Milwaukee, Wis. — Center Myles Turner spent 10 seasons anchoring the Indiana Pacers, but a free-agency standoff last summer ended with him signing a four-year, $107 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. Turner, 29, returns to Indianapolis on Monday for the first time as an opponent, calling the split “jarring” and saying Indiana’s offer signaled the franchise “gave up.”
The contract gap
According to Turner, Indiana never moved past a three-year proposal worth about $22 million annually. Milwaukee countered at roughly $27 million per season and included a fourth-year player option. To create space, the Bucks stretched the remaining $113 million on Damian Lillard’s contract over five years, an unprecedented move Turner called “a business decision.”
Pacers president Kevin Pritchard said he believed negotiations were ongoing when Turner’s decision surfaced on social media. “Herb Simon and the Simon family were ready to go deep into the tax to keep him,” Pritchard said in July. Turner disagreed, stating, “Indiana made it very easy for me.”
Settling into Milwaukee
Since signing in July, the 7-footer has immersed himself in his new city. On Sept. 28 he threw out the first pitch before the Brewers’ regular-season finale, attended NLDS Game 5 with teammates, visited Lambeau Field and picked apples at a local orchard. “That Midwest nice, that culture here is real,” Turner told ESPN.
Early on-court fit
Through six games the Bucks are 4-2, ranking inside the league’s top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency. Turner is averaging 9.8 points on 39.3% shooting, numbers coach Doc Rivers attributes to an adjustment period. “He’s doing a lot that helps us win,” Rivers said.
Turner and Giannis Antetokounmpo have logged 104 minutes together, the team’s most-used pairing, posting a plus-8.5 net rating. Antetokounmpo highlighted Turner’s floor spacing after a pump-fake dunk against Washington on Oct. 22: “I haven’t seen a play like that in a while from somebody with a Bucks jersey.”
Rivalry intensifies
Milwaukee and Indiana have traded postseason blows the past two years, with the Pacers eliminating the Bucks in consecutive playoffs. Turner fanned the rivalry at Bucks media day, saying, “I’m in a city now that wants to celebrate me.” After backlash from Pacers fans, he clarified the remark referred to his free-agency experience, not supporters in Indianapolis.
This week a clip from Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s “Thanalysis” podcast appeared to show Turner calling former teammate Tyrese Haliburton a “fake tough guy.” Turner posted the full video for context but acknowledged the scrutiny: “I’m trying to balance praising my new city with memories of Indy.”
Looking back, moving forward
Turner was Indiana’s longest-tenured player during the club’s 2025 Finals run and addressed the crowd during the Eastern Conference trophy presentation: “I’ve spent a third of my life here.” Two months later, with negotiations stalled, he booked a vacation to Hawaii expecting a new Pacers deal that never came. “It’s a $40 million difference at the end of the day,” he said.
Indiana enters Monday’s game 1-5 and dealing with multiple injuries. Turner expects a mixed reception at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “There’s going to be cheers, there’s going to be boos,” he said. “The biggest thing is winning the basketball game.”
Source: ESPN
