Regardless of if the Indiana Pacers win the NBA championship this season or not, there is no question that the team has a bright future and will remain one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and title contender in the coming seasons.
This offseason, the Pacers are expected to make moves to remain in championship contention. One of those moves is re-signing Myles Turner. While beneficial to Indiana's future, Turner's extension with the Pacers will come with some risks.
Turner's expected long-term deal with the Pacers will put the franchise in the luxury tax for the first time in 20 years. Turner's extension with the Pacers is expected to be worth $30 million annually.
Pacers will likely have to let a key player go due to Turner's contract
As a result of Turner's extension, the Pacers will likely have to let Obi Toppin go, who has been a key reserve for the team and has had a major impact on Indiana's playoff run. Toppin has averaged 8.8 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists during the Pacers' run to the NBA Finals.
Toppin is currently under contract with the Pacers for four more seasons. Toppin is set to earn $14 million next season, and his contract will continue to increase by $1 million after every season. T.J. McConnell and Aaron Nesmith are two other players who are under contract for four more seasons, and their salaries do increase, even though it's not guaranteed.
Even with Myles Turner's contract putting the Pacers over the luxury tax, the franchise still hopes to keep most of their current core intact as their starting five will be locked up for the foreseeable future after the signing of Turner's extension.
While Obi Toppin is a key depth piece that the Pacers are willing to afford to lose, Toppin's time in Indiana could still be affordable. It is possible that the Pacers could let go of T.J. McConnell and Aaron Nesmith to keep Toppin. Keeping all three of them, however, would not only put the Pacers over the luxury tax but could hurt their long-term future of signing other players.