Myles Turner extension with Pacers takes major trade chip off the table

Myles Turner and the Pacers agreed to a $60 million extension on Saturday, a deal that removes a huge trade chip from the deadline market. 

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Indiana Pacers have agreed to an extension with big man Myles Turner worth $60 million over two years (with $17 million of the extension tacked on for this year’s cap hit).

This extension seemed to be hinted at in recent weeks with reports from The Athletic’s Shams Charania (subscription required) about how the Pacers were talking about extending him past this season.

Charania also provided the full details in his report of the extension. In addition to the $35 million owed this season, Turner is owed $20 million in cap space during the 2023-24 season and $19 million in 2024-25.

But more than just sticking with the Pacers, a big name that could’ve been on the NBA trade market leading up to the deadline is now off the table.

Myles Turner extension removes Pacers big from NBA trade deadline talks

Turner has been involved in trade rumors for a long time but the extension gives Turner security for staying in Indiana long-term. With a team that has a promising young star in Tryese Hailburton and a very good young player in Bennedict Mathurin, the Pacers now also have their center for the future.

For a long time, it seemed Turner would be the one traded out of Indiana between Domantas Sabonis and him. Obviously, it ended up being Sabonis moved instead, but trade rumors still persisted about Turner. This almost entirely puts them to bed.

Technically, Turner can still be moved, as pointed out by Bobby Marks, but with Turner’s new salary under the extension at $35 million and a trade partner having to match that with the return package, it’s hard to see him actually being dealt.

Myles Turner extension looks good on paper for the Pacers

It’s difficult to not like this extension for the Pacers. That extra cap space this season wasn’t going to be utilized, so it allows Indiana to extend their big man and make the deal cheaper down the line.

As for the two years after the 2022-23 season, the annual value is fair at, as mentioned, $20 million and $19 million. That’s overall a good deal for the Pacers and, though they were expected to be sellers at the NBA trade deadline coming into the year, their spring of youth has changed the calculus, which this deal is evidence of.