After the Indiana Pacers witnessed the heartbreak of superstar Tyrese Haliburton tearing his Achilles just seven minutes into Game 7 of the NBA Finals (and after sinking three 3-pointers), fans received the shocking news about a month later that he would sign with the rival Milwaukee Bucks.
It hasn’t been easy for Pacers fans, and as Turner recently revealed to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm, the move wasn’t easy on him, either.
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“The hardest thing about all this was, of course, there are my sentimental ties to the city and to the fans and where I was,” Turner said.
Turner knows that the fans who have watched him play for the last 10 years on the only team he has ever known professionally will have understandable frustration, but at the end of the day, the big man had to do what was best for his personal situation.
He inked a four-year, $107 million deal with the Bucks, and reportedly, was never offered more than $23 million per year from Indiana.
“I think that we had spent three to four years trying to build something in Indiana, and then it just abruptly comes to an end,” Turner said. “Of course, there’s gonna be frustration on the fans’ ends, organization’s end and just people around me, but no matter what I say or do, they’re gonna take my words and use it against me.”
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“The best way I can say it is my family’s happy, I’m happy,” Turner continued. “I’m coming to a situation now where I think I can be utilized right away and help this team, and just gotta let bygones be bygones. It kind of is what it is. I don’t know what to expect when I go back on Nov. 3, but it’s gonna be fun regardless.”
Turner is coming off a down scoring year of 15.6 points per game (his lowest in three seasons), on 48.1 shooting from the field (his lowest in four seasons). He added 6.5 rebounds, a pair of blocks, and 0.8 steals per game across his 72 regular season appearances.
In the playoffs, Turner added 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and two blocks per game on 48.4 percent shooting from the field. He will hope to get his production up as he embarks on a new chapter of his career in Milwaukee.
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