Pacers' Myles Turner trade rumors broke him down, built him back up

In a recent piece for The Players Tribune, Myles Turner summed up his own situation best: "I've been on the trade block for like six years."

The Indiana Pacers center is a long way from there now.

He's instead a crucial piece to the Pacers' hopes of getting past the Knicks to reach the NBA Finals.

Turner admitted in that recent personal essay that the trade rumors weren't easy for him.

"I’m only a few years removed from when I was having a hard time making it one day to the next," Turner wrote. "I’ve been through too d— much to front like I don’t have perspective."

But now? Turner is thriving.

"I’ll tell you the truth about how I felt after last season," Turner continued. "And the truth is: Even with how it ended? That s— REVITALIZED me. It really did. I’m not exaggerating when I say it made me fall in love with basketball again. It made me appreciate so many aspects of this game that I’d taken for granted."

MORE: Jalen Williams makes NBA history not seen since Kobe Bryant in 2002

The Pacers have had Turner for a decade now. He's proven his worth time and again.

Over time, he added an improved outside shot to his always impressive rim protection.

The full package is now one of the better centers in the NBA.

And if the Pacers are to reach their ceiling, after topping out in the conference finals in 2024, Turner will be a big part of it. It's a good thing he's still around.

MORE: Angel Reese had the worst close-range shooting night in WNBA history