The Pacers are willing to pay the luxury tax and stay at Turner, but finally no transaction

On June 9, the NBA Finals G2 was in full swing at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Before the game, Shams Charania, a well-known ESPN reporter, broke the news: The Pacers are fully promoting the renewal negotiations of Miles Turner and are willing to break the team's "tax avoidance tradition" in 20 years and pay luxury taxes for the first time to retain the meritorious center.

According to Shams, the Pacers management has made it clear that it will not allow Turner to enter the free market, and the two sides have a strong common intention to renew the contract. Sources revealed that Turner is expected to receive a contract with an annual salary of about $30 million.

This decision is of great significance because Pacers have never paid luxury taxes since 2005 and have long adhered to the "low tax team building" strategy.

But this season, the team reached the finals. As the team's blockbuster (1,400+ blocks) and the core of the space-type fifth position, its tactical value is irreplaceable.

This season's playoffs, Turner averaged 2.3 blocks per game, with 106.3 defensive efficiency (career high), and G3 of the Eastern Conference Finals scored 4 three-pointers in a single game + key block to reverse the Knicks.

The regular season three-point shooting percentage was 39.6% (career high), and the playoffs increased to 40.3%, perfectly adapting to Halliburton's breakthrough system.

In addition, Turner has played for the Pacers for 10 seasons, and is currently the eighth player in "one person, one city" and has 701 appearances in the team history (sixth in the team history). It is worth mentioning that in the past, whenever he talks about transactions, Turner was basically on the roster, but after so long, Turner has become the player who has played for the Pacers for the longest time.

Pacers have never paid luxury taxes in 20 years, and the team has always adhered to a relatively stable salary strategy. And now breaking this convention for Turner is enough to prove his position in the team's heart. This decision also sends a strong signal to the outside world: the Pacers are eager to remain competitive in the next few seasons and strive for the championship with all their might. The contract renewal negotiations between the Pacers and Turner are still in progress. Regardless of the details of the final contract, this contract renewal will become an important node in the team's history.

The courage to pay the luxury tax for the first time in 2020 demonstrates the ambition and determination of the Pacers management. What kind of surprises will Myers Turner bring to us in the next finals and the next season?