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How Myles Turner leaving Indiana Pacers sets up former Wizards lottery pick for boom-or-bust season

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 6:30 PM ET

With Myles Turner out of the Indiana Pacers’ frontcourt, youngster Jarace Walker is officially on the clock to prove that he belongs in Indianapolis and in the NBA.

To kick off NBA free agency, the Indiana Pacers were shockingly unable to agree on a contract with Myles Turner, who signed a four-year deal to play for the rival Milwaukee Bucks.

With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for all of next season with an Achilles tear and Turner shipped out, the Pacers still have Tony Bradley, Jay Huff, Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker, Enrique Freeman, and Isaiah Jackson in the frontcourt, although their roster is simply not good enough to repeat as Eastern Conference champions.

With a down year on the horizon, one key young Pacer can use the upcoming season to prove that he belongs.

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The clock is ticking on Jarace Walker

In 2023, Walker was picked eighth overall by the Washington Wizards before being traded to the Pacers for Bilal Coulibaly and a second-round pick.

Walker has struggled to break into the Pacers’ rotation, and Coulibaly is one of the most promising young wings in the NBA.

In two seasons with the Pacers, Walker has averaged a lowly 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, playing, for the most part, only in garbage time.

With Turner gone, the Pacers don’t have a true starting center, and slotting a bruiser like Walker in at power forward to shore up their defense and rebounding makes sense, although he is very much on the clock.

Once Haliburton returns, expect Indiana to once again be near the top of the East, either with or without Walker. If he can’t prove that he is a rotational player, expect Indiana to cut ties with him while he still has some trade value and is on his rookie contract instead of committing big money to a player who is ultimately a question mark.

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Walker will be at center of NBA trade rumors

As soon as fans figured out that Rick Carlisle was instituting a sink or swim policy with his youngsters, the raw Walker was expected not to be long for Indiana. After all, as a defensive specialist, he could command some value on the open trade market and is buried behind Toppin, Pascal Siakam, and even Aaron Nesmith on the depth chart.

Some fans still believe that he can play a Lu Dort-style role on the Pacers, and players like Dorian Finney-Smith, PJ Washington, Jeremy Sochan, and even Coulibaly have found success in the NBA with a similar skillset to Walker.

All of the mentioned players are oversized wings who have struggled with their outside shot at times, much like Walker has. All of them are defense-first players, although they all play bigger roles on teams with playoff hopes next season. If Walker can’t make a mark on the Pacers before the trade deadline, expect him to be sent away for pennies on the dollar and perhaps find a role on a contender as a primary defender.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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