Myles Turner doesn’t believe the Pacers know his worth.
“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 told The Athletic in an interview published Thursday.
On Tuesday, the outlet reported Indiana (11-16) is headed toward a substantial rebuild and plans to open up trade talks for Turner, Caris LeVert and Domantas Sabonis.
The Post reported Thursday that the Knicks have expressed interest in Turner.
“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 said. “But it’s clear to me that, just numbers-wise, I’m not valued as more than a rotational role player, and I hold myself in a higher regard than that.”
Turner has been through three coaches in three years in Indiana. He saw his offensive role change two seasons ago, when Sabonis was on the rise — the season he called his “Year of Sacrifice.”
Essentially, the Pacers wanted Turner to shift his focus to defending in a limited wing role, which has paid off since he’s emerged as one of the best defenders in the league.
“I’ve been given many roles in the years that I’ve been here, and I feel like I’ve been able to produce at a high level in the roles I’ve been given,” Turner said. “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.”
Currently, Turner is 10th on the team in usage rate, and takes 8.8 shots per game — a recipe he isn’t sure will allow his game to grow.
“I’ve settled for being just a floor spacer who runs up and down and sits in the corner all game and isn’t active because I thought I was doing what was best at the time,” said Turner. “I wasn’t looking out for myself and was looking out for the team. But I realized that looking out for myself in turn is looking out for the team, so I’ve flipped my mindset going forward.”
The 25-year-old is averaging 12.9 points per game, and a career-high 7.3 rebounds per game this season. He recorded a career-best 40 points against the Wizards, the Pacers’ second game of the season.
Turner’s shooting percentage (53.1) is up from last season (47.7), and he leads the NBA in shots blocked with 2.8 per game.
Turner — who Indiana selected with the 11th-overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft — is an efficient scorer and elite defender. The 6-foot-11 forward is able to space floor easily and still be productive without the ball in his hands.
Turner believes he’s just “scratching the surface” of his potential, and wants to prove he’s ready to “take the next step” in his career.
“The potential I’ve shown this season, I think I’m ready to turn that into a more intricate and prominent role on a nightly basis,” he said.
Turner is set to become an unrestricted free agent during the 2023 offseason.