The Milwaukee Bucks went all-in to acquire Myles Turner last offseason. After losing Brook Lopez in free agency, they were set on finding a similar type of player who was younger and better.
Seeing how much success Giannis Antetokounmpo had playing next to a floor-spacing, rim-protecting center, targeting Turner made a ton of sense. Just to have enough cap space to pay him, the Bucks had to stretch Damian Lillard, taking on $112.5 million in dead salary.
A year later, it's safe to say that the move backfired. This was not necessarily because Turner played below expectations. Yes, Turner didn't set the world on fire with his play, but he was healthy and productive for most of the year. It was a worthy final gamble to extend the Antetokounmpo era, but the Bucks have no choice but to move on from Turner.
Myles Turner should be next in line to be traded after Giannis Antetokounmpo
If the Bucks are listening to trade offers for Antetokounmpo, there is no reason not to do the same for Turner. The 30-year-old center is a great fit next to Giannis, but if the Greek Freak is no longer in Milwaukee, Turner makes less sense on this roster.
Turner will turn 31 during the next season. He will be making $26.5 million. He is under contract for another season after that and has a player option for $29.1 million for the 2028-29 season. On paper, if the Bucks are rebuilding, their cap space will not matter all that much, and they could be fine paying Turner that much over the next couple of years. His ability to shoot on one end and anchor the defense on the other could help a young, rebuilding team.
However, this wouldn't be the best use of resources for the Bucks. Turner's trade value will only go down from here. It's difficult to imagine that he will have positive trade value when he is making $27.8 million as a 32-year-old center at the 2028 trade deadline.
So, while the Pacers' NBA Finals run, in which Turner played a key role, is still fresh on front offices' minds, it behooves the Bucks to turn him into draft picks and future assets.
This should be feasible this summer when there are plenty of desperate center-needy teams around the league. At first glance, the Clippers, Warriors, Pelicans, and the Lakers are obvious teams that will certainly make a move for a starting center this offseason. Could the Bucks get a first-round pick from any of these teams for Turner?
All it takes is one team. If there is a team around the league that feels like they are a Myles Turner away from being a serious contender (or a playoff team in the case of the Pelicans), they will be willing to pay up. Turner is a unique enough player with his two-way ability that he can have an outsized impact on teams.
With how barren Milwaukee's asset coffers are, if they can get any type of draft capital or an intriguing young player or two in return for Turner, it should be considered a success. Whether the Bucks front office feels the same way remains to be seen.
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