In one of the most surprising moves of the NBA offseason so far, center Myles Turner departed the Indiana Pacers in free agency for the Milwaukee Bucks, signing a four-year, $107million deal.
Turner was the longest-tenured member of the Pacers, who just advanced to the NBA Finals this past season. He had been a core member of Indiana for a decade, only to abruptly depart shortly after their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Finals.
Turner spoke out on his decision to leave for the Bucks this week, saying that he went to Milwaukee for the chance to "stay competitive."
"For me, ultimately it was about just staying competitive," Turner said, via ESPN's Michael C. Wright. "Two years ago, we got to the conference finals. Obviously, last year we got to the finals. Being a big part of winning basketball just changed my entire perspective on this league. I saw a chance to remain competitive here."
The following day, Turner stopped by the broadcast during the Bucks' summer league game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. When he was asked what he expects when he returns to Indiana for the first time, Turner said he doesn't know what to expect and also joked, "Even my time there [in Indy], there was a lot of people that wanted me off the team and now they got what they wanted and now they're complaining still."
CORRECTION: "Even my time there (in Indy), *there was a lot of people that wanted me off the team* and now they got what they wanted and now they're complaining still" https://t.co/bbKzAxB8z0
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) July 12, 2025
In a more sincere message, Turner did thank the Indy fans for their support in a lengthy post earlier this week. Ultimately, Turner thinks he made the best decision for him and believes that it will only make the Eastern Conference more fun going forward.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Myles Turner Had Funny Line About Pacers Fans' Thoughts on Him Leaving for Bucks.
