Turner: Pacers view me as 'glorified role player'

Pacers center Myles Turner believes he's deserving of a central role in Indiana's offense after establishing himself as one of the NBA's most feared rim-protectors.

"It's clear that I'm not valued as anything more than a glorified role player here, and I want something more, more opportunity," Turner said, according to The Athletic's Jared Weiss. "I'm trying really hard to make the role that I'm given here work and find a way to maximize it. I've been trying to the past two, three seasons."

Turner is attempting just 8.8 shots per game, his lowest total since his rookie season seven years ago. Turner erupted for 40 points in Indiana's second game of the campaign against the Washington Wizards and would like more of a chance to produce consistently on that end of the floor.

"I've shown that I can do the things they ask me to do, and I think it's time to put that all together and be a more prominent night-in, night-out guy on the offensive side of the ball instead of someone who is asked to be a floor spacer and hide in the shadows," Turner said.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said in a recent meeting with Turner and the rest of the coaching staff that they'd try to create more opportunities for the 25-year-old to score when rolling to the rim, sources told Weiss.

Turner is one of several key Pacers players along with Domantas Sabonis and Caris LeVert who have been featured in recent trade rumors. The league's leading shot-blocker told Weiss despite all the noise surrounding a potential rebuild, he enjoys Indiana and wants to win with the organization.

Turner is in the third season of a four-year, $80-million contract. He's set to become an unrestricted free agent in the 2023 offseason.