May 31, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) raises the trophy after game six of the eastern conference finals against the New York Knicks for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Myles Turner Believes Pacers Will Change How NBA Teams Build Rosters

Originally posted on Indianapolis Pacers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 10:35 AM ET

The Indiana Pacers are the Eastern Conference champions. It's the first time they have been able to claim that since 2000, when they also beat the Knicks to win the East.

Indiana is back in the Finals for the first time in 25 years, and they are hoping to have a different result. Back in 2000, the Pacers lost to the Lakers. This year, they are hoping to beat the Thunder.

This Pacers team is not built like a lot of other teams in the NBA. This is the first time since the luxury tax was implemented that two teams not paying the luxury tax are in the Finals.

Myles Turner believes that the Pacers have changed the way that NBA teams will build their roster. They don't do it via free agency. They do it with good draft picks and executing trades.

Turner said he thinks the Pacers roster-build is going to be a model for the league going forward. There will be less super-teams, more young guys using "the power of friendship" meaning connection and cohesion.
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) June 1, 2025

Not only have the Pacers built their roster that way, but they let their guys grow together. They have let them build cohesion and chemistry over the last few years.

Building that chemistry has allowed the Pacers to turn into a team that is just four games away from winning the first NBA title in franchise history.

Turner is the foundation of that chemistry. He is the longest-tenured Pacer, having played his entire ten-year career in Indiana. Despite his name popping up in trade rumors numerous times over the years, he has remained with the Pacers.

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How well that chemistry stays together against a tough Thunder team will reveal whether or not this will truly change how teams build their rosters. The Pacers have to win a title in order for things to change.

They are being doubted yet again. Almost every single NBA pundit out there is picking the Thunder to win this series, with most of them picking them to win in five or six games.

Turner is going to have to be a big factor in the Finals if the Pacers are going to win. He has to hit threes and protect the rim at an elite level if they are going to win a title.

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This article first appeared on Indianapolis Pacers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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