The season's over, the dust has settled, and Milwaukee can finally admit what everyone's known for months: the Myles Turner gamble was an absolute disaster.
Turner was supposed to be the answer after the Damian Lillard experiment failed. At the time, it was possibly the splashiest move of the offseason and showed Jon Horst and company still had another round left in the chamber. Turner's fit and profile just made sense, at least on paper: he was the floor-spacing center who could protect the rim and open up the offense for Giannis. They tried, but it didn't work out.
The Myles Turner experiment didn't work for Milwaukee, and that's okay
Turner spent the entire season getting outplayed by Jericho Sims, a minimum contract guy Milwaukee barely trusted when he first arrived in town. Despite all the hype, he ends the season averaging 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. Not bad numbers, but far from what you'd want from your starting big man you waived-and-stretched Damian Lillard for.
Initially touted as the second star next to the Greek Freak, Turner ended the season averaging fewer minutes than he should've despite being the third-highest paid player on the roster. The spacing never materialized consistently, the rim protection was mediocre at best, and the on-court results were brutal. Milwaukee's net rating with Turner on the floor was a net-minus 6.03 per 100 possessions, according to PBP Stats.
That's not just disappointing, or even below average. That's actively making the team worse every time you step on the floor. And there is no clearer sign that the fit you thought would shine through just isn't there.
Now that the season's officially done, Milwaukee needs to cut their losses and trade Turner while he still has value. Some team out there will convince themselves they can unlock whatever potential the Bucks couldn't. Take that trade, get whatever assets you can, and move on from this failed experiment.
Even after everything, it's a safe bet that Turner's value around the league still hasn't completely cratered yet. He's still got the theoretical skillset teams covet as a defensive-minded big who can shoot threes and block shots. That profile always finds a market even when the production doesn't match. Cash in before another disappointing season tanks his trade value permanently.
The money makes moving him necessary too. Milwaukee can't afford to keep paying Turner starter money when he's barely worth rotation minutes. They need that salary flexibility if they're rebuilding around young players or making one last push with whoever's left after Giannis' decision.
If they find a trade partner, the Bucks can recoup assets by parting ways with Turner
This isn't about Turner being a terrible player; his time in Indiana shows he was far from that. Perhaps he was just a terrible fit in Milwaukee's system, playing for a coach who didn't know how to use him in a situation that was just too chaotic to build any semblance of consistency. Some team with better spacing or a different defensive scheme might genuinely get more out of him.
But that team isn't the Bucks, and pretending otherwise wastes everyone's time. The Turner experiment failed. The season proved it definitively. Now Milwaukee needs to act on that information instead of running it back and hoping year two magically fixes everything.
Trade Turner this summer, get back whatever value still exists, and officially close the book on this disastrous chapter. The gamble didn't pay off. Time to admit failure and move forward.
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