Shams: Turner agrees to terms with BUCKS

[Scoot McGroot]

Bradley is under contract. Isaiah Jackson has a qualifying offer, so we’ll likely extend him long term now.

At that point, especially if we extend Mathurin, and the cap only rises 7% instead of 10%, we’re flirting with the tax? With no real answer at long term center.

really makes we question not taking a center at 38 or even 54.

Yup. Raynaud would be helpful right now!

[basketballwacko2]

It could just be that we don't want to go into the tax?

in a year without Tyrese

How many times did I say they would not pay tax in 2025-26.

[boomershadow]

Oh man. End of an era.

[JMaster5K]

If IJax isn’t ready to start the season I wouldn’t mind trading for Nick Richard ($5m) or signing a Mo Wagner type. I’m sure Horford will want to latch on with a contender and I’d prefer we bring in centers that have a chance to eventually play with Hali.

Ayton does have some work ethic red flags but also think his situation in Portland was pretty bad. If the FO believes in him and he wants a reasonable contract I’d think he would absolutely be worth a flyer. He was offered the max based on his time playing with CP3 so I’d think he would very interesting with Hali feeding him.

I think Ayton would be worth a 3 year 'prove it' deal? He had issues even back to the time with the Suns. His interviews this past season both before & after the trade conveyed the idea that he thinks he is already the best,... shouldn't have to do anything,... he just isn't getting recognized for it.

IMO,... I don't believe we were actually interested when he was a free agent. He & the Suns were at a stale-mate. The Suns had already offered him more money that any other team could, but on 4 years. He wanted a 5 year contract & held out for one. The only way to break the stale-mate was for an outside team to sign him to an offer sheet with some different payment details, max money (thought technically the Suns 'max' value was slightly higher - for some reason that my memory doesn't recall?), and at the 4 years (again most any other team could offer),.. and get him to sign it.

At the time, there were only 2 teams in the league with enough cap space to even make the offer... If I'm honest,... I think the Suns owner called Mr. Simon & said 'help me out here? Make him a max offer & we will match it immediately'. The best we could offer was still less than Phoenix had already offered,... it just wasn't the 'max' in terms of everything (money, time, perks) that the Suns could offer, because it was on 4 years.

I still believe they explained all that to Myles in advance, which is why he never had a problem with it?.....

[basketballwacko2]

And the good news is Football season is only weeks away!!

[Ruben Quevedo]

What can you tell us Bucks fans about Turner?

I know he's long been seen as a perfect fit with Giannis, but never thought we'd actually get him.

I actually was not very impressed with him in the playoffs...I thought Siakam was far more important to your success.

[Wizop]

What can you tell us Bucks fans about Turner?

I know he's long been seen as a perfect fit with Giannis, but never thought we'd actually get him.

I actually was not very impressed with him in the playoffs...I thought Siakam was far more important to your success.

Myles ability to play outside was key to allowing Siakam to play inside.

[JMaster5K]

A bit of different perspectives:

https://eu.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2025/07/01/myles-turner-got-paid-by-bucks-while-indiana-pacers-got-screwed-by-nba-free-agency-news/84432576007/

https://eu.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2025/07/01/nba-free-agency-brian-windhorst-cant-believe-pacers-let-myles-turner-sign-with-milwaukee-bucks/84433509007/

If Doyle is right,... the 21.2M first year offered by the pacers would have put us in the tax. The 23.8 first year in the Bucks offer was probably the difference between being able to fill out the roster below the really punitive tax level & not being able to? (If not, it would be very close at those numbers?)

So,... Idk?... both sides in the negotiation bear the fault of a failure to agree. Not going to believe the worst about any of them,... not going to believe the best either. At the end of the day,... it is what it is. The real losers in all this are us,.. the fans (not just Pacers fans). Pacers basketball was fun again. Even rival fans who were rooting against us,... were at least enjoying the game & the competition.

At some point, it will be fun again. When?... who knows. We have the joy of the experience of 24-25. 25-26 was always going to be a new season,.. and anything can happen in a new season. Maybe coaches and team surprises us once again? Maybe,... we go all in on a lottery selection? In either case,... I'll be watching,... and remembering that nothing can take away the fun, camaraderie of 24-25. It may not have survived the 25 offseason,... but then again, it just might. 25-26 is after all,... a new season.

Best wished to all the Pacers posters,... and all the guests from other teams who have commented. It's July 1st,... It's the new league year. A happy 25-26 season to you all.

[AussiePacer]

Don’t expect to wake up (Australian) and read this. Pretty disappointing. Have loved watching Myles develop over the journey and was a true Pacer. Folks who have followed for longer than me, where does he sit in our “All Time” Pacer players? Must be up there now given his contribution and now having 2 decent playoff runs behind him.

Given the reported gap in money it seems like we put our best offer forward for our situation and weren’t prepared to budge a little (or maybe, the slight low-balling pissed him off and opened the door). We don’t get too much wrong in this space so it’s either a calculated gamble that missed or a genuine stuff up.

I’m pretty flat now. Losing Haliburton and game 7 was crushing and this just makes it harder to get excited about next season. A lottery play seems a decent idea to re-tool and bounce back in the following year.

[Wizop]

I almost never agree with Doyle. I don't see why this coming year can't be fun even if it is primarily a development year for Mathurin, Walker, Furphy, and Jones.

[JMaster5K]

I almost never agree with Doyle. I don't see why this coming year can't be fun even if it is primarily a development year for Mathurin, Walker, Furphy, and Jones.

With our coaching staff,... and the players still on the team,... 25-26 can be more than fun.

Like you said,.. even if it's a development year? Even if it's a lottery year? there are going to be new wrinkles, new growth, and new opportunities,... Heck,.. I'd even go so far as to say,.. with this group,.. it is going to be fun! win or lose,... it's gonna be an interesting ride.

[basketballwacko2]

I almost never agree with Doyle. I don't see why this coming year can't be fun even if it is primarily a development year for Mathurin, Walker, Furphy, and Jones.

With our coaching staff,... and the players still on the team,... 25-26 can be more than fun.

Like you said,.. even if it's a development year? Even if it's a lottery year? there are going to be new wrinkles, new growth, and new opportunities,... Heck,.. I'd even go so far as to say,.. with this group,.. it is going to be fun! win or lose,... it's gonna be an interesting ride.

Yeah losing 45 games and picking 12th!

[JMaster5K]

Don’t expect to wake up (Australian) and read this. Pretty disappointing. Have loved watching Myles develop over the journey and was a true Pacer. Folks who have followed for longer than me, where does he sit in our “All Time” Pacer players? Must be up there now given his contribution and now having 2 decent playoff runs behind him.

Given the reported gap in money it seems like we put our best offer forward for our situation and weren’t prepared to budge a little (or maybe, the slight low-balling pissed him off and opened the door). We don’t get too much wrong in this space so it’s either a calculated gamble that missed or a genuine stuff up.

I’m pretty flat now. Losing Haliburton and game 7 was crushing and this just makes it harder to get excited about next season. A lottery play seems a decent idea to re-tool and bounce back in the following year.

I'm not so convinced it will be a lottery play? I have to admit, it's a possibility. It's a bigger possibility than it was yesterday?

But with Nembhard definitely in as a starter; Nesmith still there as a starter; Mathurin likely being a starter; Pascal still there. Yes, we now have a hole at center,... but who's to say Coach won't make 'small ball' his primary offense & defense (which would likely be ugly early, but who knows by the end of the season?),... and who is to say this team can't be successful at it? or the FO pulls out another rabbit & finds a passable center somewhere?

So, we won't start the season as a contender,... actually, we didn't start this season as a contender either! If we had won game 7, we would have paid out the highest odds ever for a bet to win from the preseason,... LOL

What I hope,... is that the season is fun,... great basketball, & fun to watch,... win or lose,... and that we either, once again exceed all expectations, make the playoffs, & make a playoff run,... or crash & burn spectacularly into an early lottery spot,... but with good effort & truly fun basketball. I just don't want to be stuck in no man's land in the middle of the draft with nothing to show for it.

[Wizop]

Yeah losing 45 games and picking 12th!

37-45 was Miami's record last year. They finished 10th. before trades their draft pick was 20.

[JMaster5K]

By the by,... Shams has reported that the Bucks have traded Connaughton as predicted to make the additional space to execute their deals,...

[JMaster5K]

Yeah losing 45 games and picking 12th!

37-45 was Miami's record last year. They finished 10th. before trades their draft pick was 20.

Honestly, depending on how Benn has grown his game,.. and how the Pacers use him? I can see us being a better defensive team next year? If the FO can find any 5 that can provide rim defense? Offensively, it's going to be a bit more difficult. Spacing is going to be more difficult. But,.. if the combination of Benn, Drew, & TJ can consistently get down-hill to put pressure on the rim,... playing off Pascal's mid-post?... this can be a very interesting year?.....

I could see us winning 45,... and wouldn't be surprised. I could see us losing 55,... and wouldn't be surprised. Pressure is off.

[JMaster5K]

just in case,...

https://nbadraftroom.com/a-stupendously-early-look-at-the-2026-nba-draft-class/

[Hoop Hunter]

It’s bad but it’ll be an absolute disaster if Kuzma or Portis are coming back.

It’s hard to fathom that $25m per was too much.

Milwaukee is stretch waiving Dame to do this under the salary cap. No S&T required.


Absolutely horrid management of free agency there. Especially at the salary he ended up taking.

Just baffling. My working theory is they didn’t see the Dame stretch coming.

That seems reasonable I don't know if anyone saw the Lillard buyout coming. I think the Nets were the only ones that had the cap space to sign Turner, before the Dame buyout.

[Hoop Hunter]

What can you tell us Bucks fans about Turner?

I know he's long been seen as a perfect fit with Giannis, but never thought we'd actually get him.

I actually was not very impressed with him in the playoffs...I thought Siakam was far more important to your success.

Turner is a elite shot blocker. Seriously one of the best I've ever seen. Teams don't even try the same shots when he is in the game.

He's a great teammate, a good guy. Of course he shoots the 3 really well. As everyone knows he's a poor rebounder. Though he does block out well for other guys to rebound. He doesn't handle really big strong guys very well. He's a decent passer, he swings the ball well. He can make a good entry pass to Giannis.

He is the perfect fit next to Giannis. He won't clog the lane and get in Giannis's way.

I don't get it though. Not a massive improvement over Lopez. Lopez signed with LA for 9 mil per for 2 years. Now you guys are paying Turner 27.5 + 23 per for Dame a long 5 years. Instead of being done with Dame in 2. It's almost like paying Turner 50 mil a year and you don't have a PG.

[Pacers Forever]

I have kept in my memories when Turner did a video saying that he told Jalen Smith adamantly he needs to take the bag. So it doesn’t surprise me that Turner took the biggest bag he could get. I don’t have hard feelings because like Caitlin Cooper referred to the Pacers can take a step back now to get better in the future.

He wasn’t his best self in the playoffs with poor shooting and poor rebounding plus he couldn’t stop the Thunder centers from impacting the game. I’m glad the Pacers didn’t overpay and if he’d signed with them I would have supported that also hoping for him to improve his game and be better once Tyrese returns.