Report: Pacers, Turner talking extension, potential salary renegotiation

The Indiana Pacers are in talks with veteran center Myles Turner over a contract extension, sources told The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Due to its open cap space - reportedly about $25 million - Indiana has also broached the possibility of a renegotiation and extension with Turner and his agent, sources told Charania. That could allow the team to effectively give the two-time blocks champion an immediate $19.1-million raise this season, improving his $18-million salary to $37.1 million. His salary would drop in the following seasons of the new deal, per Charania.

Turner, 26, has perennially found himself in trade talks since the franchise drafted him 11th overall in 2015. However, the Pacers have exceeded expectations this season behind a new young core headlined by Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin and supplemented by players like Chris Duarte, Aaron Nesmith, and Andrew Nembhard (all of whom are 25 or younger). Indiana currently occupies a play-in spot in the East with a 16-16 record.

Turner is registering career highs in points and rebounds this season at 16.7 and 7.8 per game, respectively. The eighth-year big is also shooting a career-best 41.7% from deep and averaging over two blocks per contest.

Any potential extension has a March 1 deadline, as players on expiring deals can't extend their contracts during the season's final months.