Pacers' Final Contract Offer to Myles Turner Revealed by Insider

The Indiana Pacers let everyone know that before the NBA Finals started, re-signing Myles Turner was a priority for them. They were expected to go into the luxury tax to bring him back.

Then, Tyrese Haliburton blew out his Achilles. That gave them an excuse not to go into the luxury tax, and they let Turner walk in free agency. He signed a four-year deal worth $107 deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Turner said throughout the early days of summer and the Finals that he wanted to return to the Pacers. He expressed interest in ending his career in Indiana.

The Pacers ended up lowballing Turner, so he went out into the open market in search of a better deal. That's exactly what he got from Milwaukee, and now he's joined a hated rival.

Turner was never offered more than $23 million per year, according to The Athletic. That's less than what the Bucks were able to offer Turner once they waived Damian Lillard.

The Pacers have been criticized heavily for being cheap, and it's hard not to think that way. Herb Simon was just looking for a reason not to enter the luxury tax, and the Haliburton injury gave him that excuse.

Letting Turner walk for nothing in return is also a mismanagement of the roster. They weren't even able to execute a sign-and-trade to get an asset back in return for him.

Letting him go isn't the worst idea if they thought they could get a center better than him to replace him, but there is no center out there on the market who is better.

More Pacers news: Myles Turner Would Have Stayed With Pacers if They Slightly Altered Contract Offer: Report

Unless there is some massive trade in the works that no one knows about, the Pacers are likely going to enter next season with Isaiah Jackson as their starting center, coming off a torn Achilles.

That's a scary proposition for a team that just played in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Jackson has shown some promising moments, but certainly doesn't have a proven track record that he's good enough to be a starting center in the NBA.

More Indiana Pacers news: Pacers Lose Out on Deandre Ayton, Who Joins Lakers in Blockbuster Free Agent Move

Pacers Questioned by Rival Coach for Letting Myles Turner Join East Rival

For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, visit Indiana Pacers on SI.