In a free agency surprise, Bucks knuck Indy for center Myles Turner, AP source says
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The Bulls blew up their last core and got little to show in return. Should fans trust in a front office plan that has the Bulls teetering mediocrity?
Myles Turner has agreed to a four-year deal to join the Milwaukee Bucks, who waived nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard to make the acquisition happen, a person with knowledge of the moves told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
What we know:
Turner is agreeing to a deal that ends with a player option, after spending the entirety of his first 10 seasons with the Indiana Pacers, which went to the NBA Finals this past season. And the remaining $112.6 million owed to Lillard will be paid out over the next five seasons via the NBA's stretch provision, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither move was announced by the clubs involved.
ESPN, which first reported the plan by the Pacers and Bucks, said Turner agreed to a contract worth $107 million.
In both cases, Achilles tendon injuries played a role in the surprising moves.
Indiana expects to be without star guard Tyrese Haliburton for the entirety of the coming season because he ruptured his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder while playing through what was diagnosed as a calf strain. And earlier in the playoffs, Lillard ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing for Milwaukee in Round 1 against Indiana.
What's next:
Lillard is also likely to miss most, if not all, of the coming season. He will be free to sign with anyone he chooses, and teams could simply sign him now, give him a chance to continue his recovery and do so with hope that the seven-time All-NBA selection is fully ready to go by the start of the 2026-27 season.
Turner has averaged 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in his 10 seasons with the Pacers, who had a decision to make this summer about whether to surpass the luxury tax threshold with the knowledge that Haliburton likely cannot play this coming season.
Lillard, who turns 35 later this month, has averaged 25.1 points and 6.7 assists in 900 regular-season games over 13 seasons — the first 11 with Portland, the last two with Milwaukee.
The Bucks lost Brook Lopez to the Los Angeles Clippers when free agency opened Monday.
Local perspective:
This is a seismic powershift in the NBA Central Division.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who finished with the No. 1 overall seed in the East last season, acquired 3-and-D guard Lonzo Ball from the Chicago Bulls for Isaac Okoro in a move that reinforced the Cavs' point guard rotation and gives Cleveland a respected locker room presence. That move made it clear Cleveland expects to be atop an Eastern Conference that will be without Lillard, Haliburton and Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who all suffered Achilles tears.
In signing Turner, the Bucks send a message they're not willing to go into the offseason accepting second place to Cleveland or Indiana. Milwaukee dwarfs the Bulls-Cavs swap and weakens NBA runner-up Indy with this move, all while furthering their distance from the lowly Bulls, who have yet to show any kind of direction or concrete timeline.
Watch out for the Milwaukee Bucks.