"It was a little surprising" - Pacers president drops bombshell on Myles Turner's exit to join Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Indiana Pacers lost longtime starter Myles Turner after he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. Turner agreed to a four-year, $107 million deal to join star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, the team announced on Monday.

Turner was the longest-tenured player on the roster. Since getting drafted by the organization with the No. 11 pick in the 2015 NBA draft, the big man has been part of the Pacers. Although he's almost always part of trade rumors, the front office was always loyal to him.

However, even after reaching the NBA Finals in the 2024 playoffs, Turner felt he deserved to have a better contract as he became an unrestricted free agent. On Monday, the team president, Kevin Pritchard, talked about the departure of the 6-foot-11 center.

"(Owners) Herb Simon and Steven Rales and the Simon family were fully prepared to go deep into the tax to keep him and we really wanted to do that," Pritchard said, according to IndyStar.

"Again, we were in good faith negotiations," he added. "It was a little surprising how Milwaukee created that. ... Hat tip to Milwaukee to do that."

Pritchard claimed that the front office and Turner were deep into conversation regarding a deal. However, they saw that he had accepted the offer to play for Milwaukee.

Losing one of the most important role players significantly hurt the roster, especially since he played a major role in the recent postseason run. With Tyrese Haliburton injured, Indiana might take a backseat in the 2025-26 season and regroup.

Kevin Pritchard confirmed Tyrese Haliburton won't play for Pacers for 2025-26 season

Most NBA Finals fans are still reeling from what transpired in Game 7. During the Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder series, Tyrese Haliburton played through a tight calf and tore his Achilles tendon in the first quarter. His injury significantly impacted the team and was a major factor in their series loss.

Kevin Pritchard confirmed on Monday that Haliburton will miss the 2025-26 season as he recovers from the injury.

"I have no doubt that he will be back better than ever," Pritchard said. ... "He will not play next year, though. We would not jeopardize that now. Don't get any hopes up that he will play."

During the recent playoffs, Haliburton changed the narrative around him. He was labeled as "overrated" via the anonymous player poll by The Athletic. However, he led the Pacers to an incredible postseason run as they made it to the finals for the first time since 2000.