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In perhaps the most shocking move of NBA free agency thus far, Damian Lillard was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks to make room for their signing of Myles Turner. Lillard's $113 million contract will be stretched as the multi-time All-Star guard rehabs his Achilles tendon injury and figures out his NBA future.
On the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast, Brian Windhorst broke down why the Bucks' move to release Lillard makes sense for their immediate future. Windhorst points out that the Bucks moved under the luxury tax, saving money and earning a tax distribution.
With Damian Lillard unable to play next season due to an Achilles injury and his $50 million salary impacting their cap, the team chose to waive him. While the move hampers them in the long term, as they are on the hook to pay out Lillard for his contract, Turner, a clear upgrade over an aging Brook Lopez to better support Giannis Antetokounmpo in the hopes of convincing him that they can contend for a title.
“Somebody explained how the Bucks could justify this,” Windhorst said on the episode. “So, Dame is on the books at $22 (million) and a half, let's call it $23 (million). Miles Turner's deal averages $27 million a year. So, basically for the next four years, it's $50 million for the two of them. Okay. So this year Dame was on the cap for a little over $50 million and that was a blank spot on the cap. Maybe he comes back. Let's just assume that he doesn't. Maybe he does. But it's $50 million you weren't going to get production out of.”
He continued, “So now they reduced the Dame number to $23 (million) for this year and they bring in Miles Turner and it's again about $15 million. And so now you have a productive player in that $50 million spot. Secondly, you reduce yourself below the luxury tax and so you are in theory not paying tax and you get access to the distribution. Which I don't know let's say it's 10 million.”
