Myles Turner and Tyrese Haliburton were the face of the Indiana Pacers for a long time. The former being the longest tenured and the latter being their star player. Their tag team is no more after Turner left for the Milwaukee Bucks, the same team they formed a rivalry with in the last two years.
Many fans were hurt by this move by Turner, feeling abandoned just because Haliburton won’t be able to play at all in the next season after suffering an ACL injury in the NBA finals.
Haliburton is not one with those furious fans. He understands the NBA is a business and Turner only did what’s best for his career.
“Since I got here, for the last ten years, Myles’s name has been synonymous with our organization.” the Pacers All-Star said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“He’s done a lot here, I think that people have really taken a liking to Myles. He’s done some great things, been a part of some great groups. But at the end of the day, it is a business. He’s got to do what’s best for him and I wish him the best moving forward. My focus is now on the guys that we have here.”
Myles Turner’s reason for the move
Turner is not the first player to look for an easy way out. Kevin Durant did it on the Oklahoma City Thunder during his infamous move to the Golden State Warriors in 2017. His longtime teammate Russell Westbrook appear to have hated him for it.
Competitiveness is what he was after with the Bucks and he is not shy admitting that.
“I saw a chance to remain competitive here. John, even Doc, assured me that winning is a top priority here, and we just align with our visions,” he said during his introductory press conference.
“Once I saw an opportunity for myself, for what I thought to be successful, I had to take it,” he added.
“It was a favorable position for myself and my family. Once the opportunity presented itself, I wanted to take full advantage of it.”
Are the Pacers not going to be competitive this new season? They might be bottom dwellers with the absence of Haliburton. A major bookmaker puts their odds to win the title at +11000 while another has them at 19th place.
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