Myles Turner’s decision to join the Milwaukee Bucks shocked the entire basketball world. That shock, however, pales in comparison to what his former teammates on the Indiana Pacers must’ve felt. After all, they made consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances along with being just one game away from the 2025 NBA championship.
Advertisement
To the casual fan, it seemed like a no-brainer to re-sign Turner, considering how important he was to the Pacers’ Finals run. Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. Retaining Turner would put the Pacers into the luxury tax for the first time in 20 years.
However, Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard revealed that it wasn’t going to impact the team’s decision.
“Herb Simon and Steven Rales and the Simon family were fully prepared to go deep into the tax to keep him, and we really wanted to do that,” Pritchard said. “We were negotiating in good faith.”
The Milwaukee Bucks weren’t even in the equation to lure Turner away from Indiana. They created the cap room by waiving Damian Lillard and flexing his contract over the next five seasons. Milwaukee gave Turner $27 million annually, while Indiana was only offering $23 million annually.
Losing Turner isn’t just significant to next season but to their future going forward. Point guard Tyrese Haliburton might be out of commission for the season but once he returns from the Achilles injury, he is likely to have a tough go at it without Turner.
Regardless, he doesn’t hold animosity toward his former teammate.
“I think people have really taken a liking to Myles. At the end of the day, the NBA is a business and he’s gotta do what’s best for him,” Haliburton said on The Pat McAfee Show.
“Myles Turner did some great things here..
The NBA is a business and he’s gotta do what’s best for him..
I wish him the best moving forward” @TyHaliburton22 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/7EtJez2Ukb
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 22, 2025
That said, it wouldn’t be crazy to assume that Haliburton and other Pacers players would harbor a bit of resentment towards Turner. Not because he left the team, but also due to who he ended up joining.
It’s not a secret that the Bucks and Pacers do not like each other. In an era where rivalries are more scarce, these two teams don’t hide their distaste toward one another. Haliburton still feels that way when it comes to the rest of the Bucks roster, but holds a soft spot for Turner.
“I wish him the best moving forward,” Haliburton revealed. “My focus is now on the guys we have here and getting better here.”
The hill to climb to return to the level the Pacers were just at will be steep without Turner. Is it possible? Anything is possible in the NBA.
As currently constructed, the Pacers are extremely outclassed. It’ll take some additional key moves ahead of Haliburton’s eventual return to elevate the ceiling of this team to get over the hump.
