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The Milwaukee Bucks entered the 2025 offseason with one goal in mind; keep Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP was considering a trade request after another disappointing offseason. Milwaukee caught the NBA world off caught when the Bucks signed Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million deal on Tuesday.
Signing Turner is part of the Bucks' attempt to convince Antetokounmpo to stay with the team. Milwaukee lost Damian Lillard to a torn ACL in the first round and the former MVP could not overcome the loss. Despite the disappointment of their loss, Bucks general manager Jon Horst has been aggressive so far this summer.
Milwaukee lost Brook Lopez to the Los Angeles Clippers, but replaced him with Turner. During his time with the Pacers, Turner grew into his role, anchoring their defense and spacing the floor for Tyrese Haliburton. His performance in the NBA Finals underwhelmed fans, but the 6'11” center is one of the best defenders in the league.
Fans in Indiana are upset that they lost out on Turner. Before he signed with the Bucks, he was the longest-tenured player on the Pacers' roster. However, after a decade of playing for Indiana, he now joins their rival in the Central Division.
The move is a great short-term upgrade for Milwaukee. However, they needed to make a tough decision in order to open up enough cap space to pull it off. Horst and the front office waived All-Star point guard Damian Lillard and stretched out his contract. The Bucks will pay their former point guard the rest of his $113 million contract over the next few seasons.
Antetokounmpo reportedly helped recruit Turner to Milwaukee. However the All-NBA forward is allegedly upset with how the Bucks pulled the move off.
Horst and the front office in Milwaukee are desperate to keep Antetokounmpo. Each time that he has entertained the idea of leaving, the Bucks made a big move. First it was bringing in Jrue Holiday, then trading for Lillard the next season. Now, Milwaukee gave their superstar a center who can space the floor and take the defensive responsibility off his shoulders.
However, after waiving Lillard and signing Turner to a deal slightly richer than other teams' potential offers, the Bucks are in a tough spot. Each season, they will pay $50 million to keep Turner and pay Lillard.
Making the move was one of the only choice for the team to make in order to keep Antetokounmpo. Despite that, this trade is memorable, especially if he ends up leaving anyways.
