Myles Turner Agrees To Four-Year, $80 Million Extension With Pacers

by
Former Writers
October 15, 2018

Keith Allison via Flickr

The Indiana Pacers are looking to start the 2018-19 season with a bang. On Monday, they did just that off the court. Big man Myles Turner and the Pacers have agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract extension. Coming into Monday, Turner had one-year, $3.4 million left on his rookie deal. With Turner’s extension now taken care of, the question is- Is he worth the $80 million the Pacers gave him.

Last season for the Pacers, Turner averaged 12.4 points and 6.7 rebounds in 65 games played. When he played alongside Paul George, he averaged 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He took a step back last season. The Pacers have been hoping he becomes the superstar they’ve envisioned him being since they drafted him 11th overall in the 2015 NBA draft.

It’s Now Time For Myles Turner To Prove His Worth

Turner is definitely happy to get his extension. Now it’s time for him to prove that the Pacers didn’t make a mistake in extending him. Despite his points and rebounds taking a dip last season, the 22-year-old big man averaged 1.8 blocks per game, which was third in the NBA. His versatility is also a reason why the Pacers had to extend him.

Turner has worked hard to fit in today’s NBA. Last season, he improved his three point shot, making 56 of them. He shot 35.7% from three point range, which isn’t bad. The three point makes and his percentage will go up as he’ll be more comfortable shooting the three-point shot. He also runs the floor very well, and that’s a huge plus.

Why The Pacers Had To Get The Deal Done

Getting this deal done was a priority for the Pacers. Their star shooting guard, Victor Oladipo, spoke very highly of Turner and his game.

“Myles is amazing,” All-Star Victor Oladipo said of his teammate, per J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star. “He’s changed his body. You can see it. He’s more confident. His head is in the right place.”

Keeping Turner in the fold also can help the Pacers contend in the eastern conference for years to come. This move is also good for chemistry reasons, as teammates love seeing the organization they play for take care of their own. With Darren Collison, Bojan Bogdanovic, Cory Joseph, and Thaddeus Young being free agents next summer, keeping Turner means he has a solid #2 option to play with.