Absolutely no one saw the Milwaukee Bucks acquiring Myles Turner this offseason coming. It came as one of the most shocking moves by a team in years, so much so that analysts were stunned. In ESPN's latest offseason poll, Milwaukee's decision to waive and stretch Damian Lillard and then sign Myles Turner earned 16 of 20 votes as the most shocking offseason deal.
The Hawks signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau, the Trail Blazers trading for former Buck Jrue Holiday, and Jonathan Kuminga still being on the Warriors all earned a single vote in the poll. While shocking, they can't hold a candle to Milwaukee's move.
Bucks' shocking deal is another all-in move
It felt as if the Milwaukee Bucks were trending toward making minimal changes this summer. After losing Damian Lillard to a torn Achilles tendon in the NBA Playoffs, no one was going to trade for him. The natural course of action felt like putting together a competitive roster and trying to hold things down until Lillard was healthy enough to return for a late-season playoff push. Nope. Not in the cards.
With the Indiana Pacers and Turner at a stalemate in contract talks, the Milwaukee Bucks made the bold move to sever ties with Lillard to create the necessary cap space. Of course, adding to the shock factor is the fact that Turner left the Pacers, fresh off an NBA Finals run, to join a heated rival, something similar to Kevin Durant spurning the Thunder to sign with the Warriors in 2016.
Ironically, it feels like when the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Damian Lillard in 2023. After a first-round postseason exit, it seemed inevitable that the Bucks were gearing up to run it back. Yet, with little to no traction on Lillard's trade request out of Portland, a doorway opened for the Bucks to sneak in and steal the guard from his preferred suitor, the Heat. Bucks fans hope this one ends on a better note.
It didn't come cheap for the Milwaukee Bucks. In addition to the $108.9 million they will pay Turner over the next four years, they will also be eating a historic amount of dead money after cutting ties with Damian Lillard. That makes winning now all the more important for Milwaukee. They made quite the gamble, and only time will tell if this one pays off for them.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.