The Indiana Pacers have had a surprisingly good start to the 2022-23 season, but it’s become clear that center Myles Turner is not part of the future plans. His name has been on the trade market for some time as Indiana awaits the right offer for his services. One of the roadblocks facing teams wishing to acquire Turner is his upcoming free agency. While he’s a fantastic player on both ends and does everything a modern center needs to do, this summer he’ll be an unrestricted Free Agent and ready to earn a new contract. As we consider his options, the 7-footer is currently in the final year of his deal and earning an approximate $17.5 million this season. The ProFitX Athledex model, however, calculates his value slightly under that figure – but he’s still a quality athlete that could raise the ceiling of a contender.

Thinking about his trade market, no team is concerned about his current deal. Turner is leading the league in blocked shots and can space the floor which makes him the ideal modern big. It’s more about the risk of giving up major assets for a guy that could end up being a one year rental if he walks into free agency this summer.

For any team that trades for Turner, there will likely need to be an expectation that a deal is negotiated to keep him around for the long haul. With that in mind, what is Turner’s projected future value based on performance? Understanding that value will be crucial in determining whether or not he’s worth trading for.  Our performance and financial database projects Turner to be worth roughly $22.88 million next season as a 27-year-old. Especially in a new situation on a team that’s looking to go all-in, he could thrive. 

This season the Pacers are somewhat a rebuilding team, but Turner is averaging 17.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 37% from deep. Any team would be lucky to add his services, especially in the playoffs. 

With that in mind, the Pacers better be ready to sign him to a new deal that could be worth over $20 million per season if they want to keep him around after this summer.