With Tyrese Haliburton out for next season and the luxury tax staring them in the face, Pacers ownership and management reportedly low-balled free agent Myles Turner. The Milwaukee Bucks stunned everyone by waiving Damian Lillard to create enough cap space to swoop in and sign Turner to a four-year, $108.9 million contract much more in line with his comparable value around the league.
Haliburton’s not mad at Turner for jumping ship, he said in an appearance on the Pat McAfee show, Haliburton’s first public comments since his injury.
“Since I’ve gotten here and for the last 10 years Myles’ name has been synonymous with our organization… At the end of the day it is a business, he’s gotta do what’s best for him. I wish him the best moving forward. My focus is on the guys here and getting better here, but I wish him the best moving forward.”
Professional athletes understand they are in a business and that they have a relatively short window to make money. With that, they rarely criticize another player for grabbing the biggest bag they can — make your money, set up your family. Players’ friendships and respect don’t change because of those business decisions.
In other Haliburton-related news:
• In that same ESPN interview, Haliburton said it may be more bad luck than anything else that has led to the rise in Achilles injuries in the NBA.
“Everybody thinks we play too many games, we play too many minutes — all those things could be true, but I don’t think that is what’s causing these injuries… So I don’t think that anybody has necessarily the answer. I think injuries are just bad luck sometimes and that’s just what happened. I think that’s just what happens in sports sometimes.”
• Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said the team has applied for and been granted a disabled injury exception for Haliburton for next season. In this case, that gives the Pacers a $14.1 million exception to sign a player (but does not free up a roster spot). The Pacers currently have 13 players under guaranteed contracts for next season, and Buchanan said on the Setting The Pace podcast that point guard depth is something they are considering.
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