Monday night marked Myles Turnerโs first game back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after leaving the Pacers in free agency to sign a four-year, $109 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. Turner spent 10 years in Indiana and helped them reach back-to-back Conference Finals. During his tribute video, however, the arena showered him with boos.
For Turner, it was a disappointing way to be received by his former fanbase of a decade, but heโs ready to move on from it and focus on winning with his new team, in a city that appreciates him.
Pacers fans furious at Turnerโs departure are the same ones who villainized him while he was there
โIt was disheartening, man. It was frustrating,โ Turner said. โYou give 10 years of your life, your blood, your sweat, your tears. You take paycuts. You survive trade rumors. Try to do everything the right way. And then sometimes thatโs not how stuff shakes out.โ
As outraged as Pacers fans were with Turnerโs decision to sign elsewhere, the Indiana front office did little to retain him. ESPN reports that Indianaโs offers topped out at around three years, $66 million. The Bucks did everything they could to get him to Milwaukee, while the Pacers pinched pennies.
If thereโs anything outrageous about it, itโs expecting him to stay with the Pacers purely out of loyalty when the team clearly did not extend him the same appreciation. This isnโt quibbling over dimes and nickels. Itโs a $40 million difference. Yet fans blame Turner for doing what most if not every single one of them would have done in his shoes.
โItโs cool. I take it on the chin. I think a lot of people will say I said things, but I think a lot of people want to formulate their own narratives and spin it to whatever they want it to be. It is what it is. You take it on the chin and just move on.โ
The Pacersโ lack of appreciation applies not only to the front office but to the fans themselves. As Turner notes, he was a perennial subject of trade gossip. What did he do to earn such dismissal?
The last three seasons in Indiana, he averaged 16.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks while shooting 51.7% from the field and 37.7% on threes.
Okay, he underwhelmed in the Finals. He didnโt average a double-double and his defense wasnโt quite as good in recent seasons. Still, as a 10-year veteran, he was easily worth more than $22 million per year in free agency. Naz Reid signed for five years, $125 million in Minnesota. Jakob Poeltl signed a four year, $104 million extension.
Simply put: the Pacers werenโt willing to pay him his due and their fans paid the price.
Turner is off to a cold start in Milwaukee, but he looks as sharp as ever defensively and has emerged as a passer. Heโs already doing things for the Bucks he never did in Indiana.
In his would-be homecoming, he put up a pedestrian nine points and seven rebounds but also notched five blocks. The Bucks won on a buzzer-beater from Giannis Antetokounmpo, 117-115.
The booing, โD-Fenceโ chanting fans went pretty quiet after that. Safe to say Turner and the Bucks got the last laugh in this one. Improving to 5-2 with the win, they now turn their focus to Tuesdayโs road game against the Raptors.
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