For months it was assumed that the Golden State Warriors and other rival teams would miss their opportunity on free agent center Myles Turner, with the wide-held expectation that the veteran big man would re-sign with the Indiana Pacers given their run to the NBA Finals.
While there remains a likelihood of that outcome taking place, Tyrese Haliburton's gruesome torn achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals could throw a spanner in the works. There's now a real watch on whether the Pacers will be willing to go deep into the tax to re-sign Turner given Haliburton will miss the entirety of next season, potentially gifting the Warriors (and others) an opportunity to swoop on the 29-year-old.
The Warriors are continually linked to Myles Turner
While Haliburton's injury is one thing, Turner's underwhelming performance in the Finals is also worth noting when it comes to how far the Pacers will go to re-sign him. Turner averaged 10.6 points and 4.4 rebounds on an awful 37.7% shooting from the floor and 21.4% from 3-point range, while also seeing a decrease in his blocks per game and an increase in turnovers.
Those performances in the Finals are unlikely to dissuade the Warriors who face real uncertainty around the center position after starting Draymond Green as a small-ball five over the final months of the season.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report still has the Warriors as a top landing spot for Turner this offseason, listing them alongside the Pacers and Detroit Pistons as strong options for the 10-year veteran.
"The Warriors obviously feel a stretch 5 can help maximize their roster, and they'd presumably prefer one without as many defensive deficiencies as Quinten Post," Buckley wrote. "Turner would be all-caps AWESOME on this team. Coach Steve Kerr might coax even more three-point splashes out of the big fella."
It's still going to be incredible difficult for Golden State to acquire Turner given he's likely to command $25-30 million per year, but Buckley notes there could be a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade that makes sense.
Turner averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks with Indiana this season, shooting a career-high 39.6% from 3-point range as he continues to prove himself the prototypical 3-and-D big man that's become so coveted across the league.
It's still likely that the Pacers do reward Turner and bring him back on a hefty new contract, but if Haliburton's injury brings even slight hesitation, then the Warriors should absolutely be right there to take advantage.