Report: $4 Million AAV Difference Caused Myles Turner Split With Pacers

The Pacers are in desperate search of a starting center in their roster after parting ways with Myles Turner ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season,

Report: $4 Million AAV Difference Caused Myles Turner Split With Pacers

Myles Turner (Image by FirstSportz)

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Things have seemed to take a U-turn for the Indiana Pacers ever since they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the NBA 2025 Finals. From having their star man, Tyrese Haliburton, injured to now watching one of their longest tenured player, Myles Turner, leave the franchise due to a disagreement in contract negotiations, per reports.

Turner departed on Tuesday. He accepted a four-year, $107 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, which paid him $26.7 million annually on average, just over what the Pacers were prepared to give him. With that, the Bucks are well on their way to contending in a weak Eastern Conference, while the Pacers’ window for a championship appears to be closing.

This is ideally until Haliburton can recover from his torn Achilles. According to a source, Indiana made the decision not to “overpay” for Turner. As the offseason drew closer, the Pacers had indicated that they would be willing to pay the luxury tax, but they made a significant shift in attitude following Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles injury. The fact that Turner’s postseason run ended poorly also played a role.

As for the Bucks, they waived off their star man, Damian Lillard. This move helped them to combine Turner with their main man, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks are still in need of a point guard, but they were able to match Giannis with a big who can spread the floor, something that they did earlier well with Brook Lopez.

Giannis can defend any position while Turner anchors the paint, and Turner is a great shooter and rim protector. In contrast, the Pacers no longer have a center of any caliber on the roster. However, there are many players in the 2025 NBA Free agency, one of them being Deandre Ayton, who the Portland Trailblazers bought out recently.

Pacers are eyeing a center from the West to replace Myles Turner

As mentioned above, the Pacers are in search of a starting center to replace Myles Turner ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype claims that the Pacers are considering making a trade for Nick Richards. Richards is in Phoenix, and they recently selected Khaman Maluach in the draft and made a deal for Mark Williams.

Myles Turner 1
Myles Turner (Credits: MARCA)

Other clubs are beginning to nose around and ask about Richards’ availability because that doesn’t leave him with any space in the Suns’ rotation. The Pacers are one of such teams, given the situation they are in at the moment with their roster. If this is the path they go, it would be an unsatisfactory substitute for Turner. If he is currently Phoenix’s third-string center.

Notably, Richards has exceptional rebounding and lob-catching skills. When Tyrese Haliburton recovers from his torn Achilles, the Pacers will want to take advantage of those two strengths. However, Richards cannot shoot threes, which Turner possessed and which made the Pacers formidable. This is something the Pacers will consider before making a final push for him.

Pacers make an important decision on their player, Tony Bradley

Pacers star Tony Bradley’s journey to the NBA has been special. A year ago, Bradley was ecstatic that he made the Pacers’ roster, then was left in awe as he was playing his first-ever NBA Finals series. Now, it just gets better for the Pacer as his side has exercised their team option and will keep him next season on a $2.94 million contract.

Bradley was signed by the Pacers in March as a backup center, according to HoopsHype. Before being selected for the remainder of the season, he signed two 10-day contracts. In addition to the team’s option for the following season, he received $300,000 for the remainder of the year.

During the regular season, the former Tar Heels star played in 14 games for Indiana, averaging 4.4 points and three rebounds per contest. Additionally, he performed well in the playoffs, solidifying his spot on the Pacers’ roster.

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