Jun 16, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) blocks a shot by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) during the second quarter in game five of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Bucks' Myles Turner Gets Honest About Leaving Pacers for Milwaukee

Originally posted on Milwaukee Bucks on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks will have a new starting center for the next four years. Myles Turner made the shocking move to sign in Milwaukee after 10 years with the Indiana Pacers.

Turner signed a $108.9 million deal with the Bucks, so they are certainly investing a lot in him. He left a team that just played in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, so he's leaving a pretty good situation.

Despite that, Turner feels good about the decision that he made. He has not been shy about the reasons why he changed teams from the Pacers to the Bucks.

During a recent interview during a Summer League game, Turner detailed why he decided to move north and play for the Bucks.

Myles Turner on leaving the Pacers for the Bucks: "You're gonna think whatever storyline you want with this and we have this heated rivalry. No matter what I say, it's gonna get twisted into whatever they want it to be for the narrative. There was no love lost." pic.twitter.com/kX5KtYZqh7
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 12, 2025

"I was damned if I did, damned if I didn't situation, the way I looked at it. The negotiations in this business is not something that the casual fan gets to see. I will say, you're going to take whatever storyline you want with this, and we have this heated rivalry. So no matter what I say, it's going to get twisted into whatever they want it to be to fit the narrative. There was no love lost when I went through this entire situation."

Turner clearly has no regrets for making the decision that he did. He was clearly tired of feeling underappreciated in Indiana, and the low offer he got from them initially was the final straw.

More news: Bucks' Doc Rivers Says the NBA is Wide Open Right Now to Win Title

Milwaukee is attaching a lot of hope to Turner for the next four years. They want him to be the second-best player behind Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That is a big step up for Turner in terms of his role with the team. If he can live up to that new role, the Bucks believe that they can compete for an NBA championship in a weakened Eastern Conference.

The Bucks have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. They added Turner to help them break that mold.

This past season with the Pacers, Turner averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.

More news: Bucks Notes: Bucks Officially Release Guard, Expected to Sign Veteran Forward, Doc Rivers Talks Giannis

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This article first appeared on Milwaukee Bucks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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