For what feels like a decade, Myles Turner and trade rumors have gone together like peanut butter and jelly. He’s been the guy everyone assumed was on his way out of Indiana. But now, after a magical run to the NBA Finals and ten years in the same city, he’s finally a free agent. The question is no longer “When will the Pacers trade him?” but “Can they actually afford to keep him?” and maybe more importantly, “After everything he’s been through, would he even want to leave now?”

Why is Myles Turner expected to leave the Indiana Pacers after the 2025 NBA season?

For years, the reason everyone expected Myles Turner to eventually leave the Indiana Pacers was simple: money. The Pacers, a proud small-market team, have historically avoided paying the NBA’s hefty luxury tax like it’s the plague. Reports note they haven’t paid it since the tax system began in 2005! And Myles, now a 29-year-old hitting his prime, is about to get paid.

Now, Turner is one of the most alluring centers in the game, a true “stretch-five” who can block shots at an elite level (2.0 BPG) and also step out and drain threes. So, after a season of averaging nearly 16 points and 7 rebounds, he’s a hot commodity, and keeping him, alongside the massive contracts for Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, would absolutely push the Pacers deep into that dreaded luxury tax. For a long time, that reality alone made his exit feel certain.

But this season, and this playoff run, changed things. In a raw, incredibly honest letter for The Players’ Tribune, Myles opened up about his journey. He admitted that just last year, he felt so low amidst constant trade rumors and team struggles that he wrote in his journal, “Is any of this even worth it???”

He was depressed and felt like a “finished product” in the eyes of many. But the arrival of Coach Rick Carlisle and, crucially, point guard Tyrese Haliburton, “unleashed” him. He wrote that for the first time, he felt like he had “basketball free will,” and that the whole experience “REVITALIZED me… it made me fall in love with basketball again.” He also wrote passionately about his connection to the fans and the city after 10 years. So, while the financial reasons to leave are still there, the emotional reasons for him to stay, for the first time in a long time, might just be stronger.

Can we expect a Myles Turner trade in the offseason?

Here’s where it gets interesting. Since Myles is an unrestricted free agent, he can’t be “traded” in the traditional sense. He’s free to sign with any team that has the cash. But, a “sign-and-trade,” where he’d re-sign with Indy only to be immediately dealt to another team, is definitely on the table, especially for teams that don’t have the cap space to sign him outright.

And you better believe teams are interested. The Detroit Pistons, an old Pacers rival, are reportedly looking for a floor-spacing big man, and according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein, Turner is a top target. In fact, so is Naz Reid. 

Stein wrote: “Detroit is known to covet a floor-spacing big man and, according to sources, is likewise said to hold interest in Indiana’s Myles Turner. Whether the Pistons have a tangible shot at acquiring either player, mind you, is far from clear.”

Despite all that interest, the tide seems to be shifting. Turner is now widely expected to re-sign with the Pacers. After making it all the way to the Finals, and with reports that ownership is now willing to “increase spending” and “reenter the luxury tax to keep this core together,” the narrative has completely changed. It seems the man who’s been on the trade block for half a decade might just be staying home after all.

What is Myles Turner’s contract with the Indiana Pacers?

Myles Turner is just finishing up a two-year, $40.9 million contract extension he signed back in 2023. That deal paid him about $19.9 million for this incredible 2024-25 season that saw his team go all the way to the NBA Finals. All told, in his decade-long career, he’s earned over $140 million.

But what’s really fascinating is thinking about that contract in the context of his personal journey, which he laid out so honestly in The Players’ Tribune. During his previous four-year, $80 million deal, he was going through those dark times, feeling lost and dealing with the constant stress of trade rumors. He was a guy who, at a surprise party to celebrate his 10 years in the league, had the heartbreaking thought, “what the f— are we celebrating?” because he hadn’t won anything yet.

Now, he’s coming off this latest contract not as a guy struggling with his place in the league, but as a revitalized, confident leader who’s made it to the biggest stage in basketball. He found his joy for the game again, and he’s heading into free agency as a completely different person than he was just a few years ago. And that? That’s priceless.