Myles Turners Loyalty and Versatility: A Key to the Indiana Pacers NBA Finals 2025 Success

Indianapolis, Indiana - Myles Turner's versatility and value as a do-it-all big man in the NBA Finals is no surprise. However, his continued dedication to the Indiana Pacers, despite being linked to numerous trade rumors, is a true testament to his loyalty.

Turner has played in 703 games for the Pacers, trailing only Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić, Jaylen Brown, Devin Booker, and Jayson Tatum among active players. This rarity is further highlighted by the fact that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was traded after his rookie year in Los Angeles, doesn't fit into this category even if he did play more games than Turner in an Oklahoma City uniform.

Turner's dedication to the Pacers is evident in his desire to finish what he started. "I'm a loyal guy," he told Yahoo Sports recently. "It's always been my calling card, I wanted to finish what I started. Of course, it's flattering for teams to see your value and want you to be part of their system. But I wanted to do it where I was drafted."

Turner has played with several mainstays on the Pacers over the years, including Paul George and Monta Ellis in the early 2010s, and Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo later on. He has also played under coaches such as Frank Vogel, Nate McMillan, Nate Bjorkgren, and now Rick Carlisle.

Carlisle praised Turner's loyalty and focus. "He's extremely loyal. He has a great ability to focus on what's important," he said on Tuesday. "Over the years, I think all players that are really good players likely have their name involved in trade rumors at some point or another."

The pairing with Sabonis highlighted the Pacers' need to get rid of one big man, just like the Sacramento Kings had one point guard too many. This created a natural trade partner in the 2021-22 season, and Turner was part of the deal that brought Tyrese Haliburton to the Pacers. Even though Turner was injured at the time, the deal shifted him back to center and gave him a true point guard.

Turner's value is evident in his ability to stretch the floor (40% 3-point shooter on nearly six attempts per game), defend in space and at the rim (led the league in blocks twice and averaging two per game this year), and finish at the rim (strong enough to score 15 points per game in this playoff run). Haliburton has praised Turner's ability to unlock his game, saying "I always thought in my career I was going to be best with a guy who plays above