The Indiana Pacers thought they could play hardball with Myles Turner. Then, Naz Reid’s new deal reset the market for free-agent centers. Longtime Pacers center Myles Turner signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in a shocking deal that required the Bucks to waive and stretch Damian Lillard and his massive contract. Turner got almost $27M per season, which is significantly more than the $23M per year the Pacers reportedly offered their big man. Turner’s contract would have forced Indiana to pay the luxury tax for the first time in two decades, but the team seemed willing to keep its NBA Finals team together, even after Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles tear in Game 7. But the Pacers underestimated the market for centers during their exclusive negotiating period with Turner before free agency began. They may have thought $23M was enough to bring back Turner, but that was before news broke of Naz Reid’s five-year, $125M deal to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Reid is a backup center who scored 14.2 points per game l
