Myles Turner readies for return to Indiana after difficult exit: ‘It’s always going to be love’

INDIANAPOLIS — Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner admitted Monday morning that entering Gainbridge Fieldhouse as a member of the visiting team was a strange experience.

“Definitely a little odd, man,” Turner said of his entrance. “I was joking with the guys I’ve never even seen the visitor’s locker room. I didn’t even know what it looked like, so definitely just a different territory, to say the least.”

Monday night, the Bucks will play the Indiana Pacers for the first time this season. While the Central Division rivals have played each other more than any other two teams in the NBA over the last two seasons, with back-to-back postseason meetings, Monday’s meeting will have extra attention because of Milwaukee’s new starting center.

The game will be the first time that Turner, whom the Bucks signed to a four-year $108.9 million contract in July, plays against his former team in the city where he spent the first 10 years of his NBA career.

“I think it’s obviously going to be mixed reviews, mixed feelings, mixed emotions. But for me, it’s always going to be love, man,” Turner said of his expected reception by Pacers fans. “I spent so much time in this environment. It’s one of the best sports environments to come play in, in my opinion, and they’ve held true to that.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the fans that I’ve known for the past 10 years. … It’s going to be fun.”

Turner averaged 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds and shot an impressive 39 percent from 3-point range in his final season with Indiana. While it might be strange to think that a player who spent a decade with one organization and last season came within one win of helping the franchise claim its first NBA title could receive a poor reception, Turner’s exit from Indiana has been messy.

The departure obviously started with the Bucks — one of the Pacers’ biggest rivals — signing Turner, but that is not what has ultimately led to complicated feelings in Indiana.

For Turner, it came down to how the Pacers’ offer in free agency fell short — never longer than three years, never more than an average of $22 million per year, as previously reported by The Athletic — and how the Bucks were willing to offer considerably more.

“I feel like, let’s talk about value. Go where you’re valued, in a sense,” Turner said. “I feel like the front office and the ownership valued me in Milwaukee more than the front office and the ownership may have valued me here in Indiana.

“So, again, that wasn’t a shot at the fans. I see how fans would have taken that personally, just how fresh you were off such a great run and whatnot. But again, I’m going to say this right to the camera. By no means did anything I say have anything to do with the fans or the city. This is strictly a business decision for me, personally.”

Here in Indy for Myles Turner’s return with Milwaukee against the Pacers tonight. pic.twitter.com/ggX91G2ui1

— shakeia (@curlyfro) November 3, 2025

While Turner’s comments might have been geared towards the Pacers’ front office, the fan base has taken the comments differently. On multiple occasions, Turner’s comments in interviews have been interpreted as shots taken at the Pacers’ fans.

Monday morning, in a media session following shootaround, Turner clarified those comments.

“I’m glad we’re talking about this up front,” Turner said. “In no way, in no space was I talking about the fans, was I talking about the city, was I talking about my time here. None of that. I say it all the time: This league is a business, and I got my first real taste of what that business sense meant.

“Obviously, you gotta take some of the emotions out of it. So no, it didn’t change how I felt here. Now, ownership and front office, that’s a different story. That has everything to do between me and them, nothing to do with the fans.”

Even with his post-shootaround clarifications, Turner may not end up receiving a warm welcome back Monday night.

“I think I’ve given myself — win, lose, draw, whether I was up, whether I was down — I was out here fighting for this city, fighting for this team,” Turner said. “And I hope those feelings are reciprocated. I’m expecting the best, but you never know.”