Myles Turner, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
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Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner are now frontcourt partners after the Milwaukee Bucks stun the NBA with another big gamble.
Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future in Milwaukee was hanging in the balance when the Bucks kept on surprising him with their biggest gamble yet.
On Tuesday, July 1, the Bucks pulled off the biggest surprise of this year’s NBA Free Agency when they stunningly yet creatively stretched and waived Damian Lillard‘s remaining $113 million on his contract to pry away center Myles Turner from their arch-rivals Indiana Pacers.
Turner agreed to a four-year, $107 million deal with the Bucks, plus a player option for year four in 2028-29 and a full 15% trade kicker, ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania reports.
Bucks general manager John Horst and Creative Artists Agency co-basketball head Austin Brown, Turner’s agent, worked together to pull off the complex signing of their new franchise center, according to Charania.
Giannis: ‘I Don’t Know What’s Going On Right Now, Man’
There were reports of conflicting reactions from Antetokounmpo on the Bucks’ latest and biggest move to date.
Both Turner and Antetokounmpo “valued the opportunity to partner together on the court during the process,” Charania further added.
However, Antetokounmpo was not pleased with the Bucks’ decision to waive Lillard, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
The Bucks had a sitting $56.3 million salary in their cap room with Lillard not expecting to play next season due to an Achilles injury. They found a way to flip that into a younger replacement for Brook Lopez, who bolted Milwaukee to join the Los Angeles Clippers on the first day of free agency.
Lopez, 37, reached a deal with the Clippers for two years worth $16 million, according to Charania.
Antetokounmpo has not moved on yet from Lopez’s departure when the Bucks pulled off the stunning signing of Turner.
“I don’t know what’s going on right now, man,” he wrote on the photo of him smoking a cigar while holding a dinosaur stuffed toy. He captioned the photo: “Mood 💯”
Giannis Antetokounmpo modd, Bucks
from Giannis Antetokounmpo X accountMilwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo made his feelings known on Brook Lopez’s departure.
Preceding this post, he tweeted-quoted Lopez’s highlights with the Bucks and captioned it: “My 🦖🙏🏽”
My 🦖🙏🏽 https://t.co/QLw0pa2z9f
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) July 1, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Bucks’ Latest Gamble
Turner represents the latest big move the Bucks have pulled off in their effort to keep Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
In 2020, the Bucks traded for Jrue Holiday in a move that helped them win Antetokounmpo’s first championship and the city’s first since 1971. Then in 2023, the Bucks secured Antetokounmpo’s extension after they flipped Holiday for Lillard. Now, they have turned Lillard into Turner while keeping their remaining draft capital (2031 or 2032 first-round pick) and 2032 second-round pick.
Their latest gamble will hit the the Bucks’ cap room with $22.5 million (which they owe Lillard) in dead money for each of the next five seasons.
On the court, Antetokounmpo and Turner form an inside-outside twin tower in a wide-open Eastern Conference weakened by Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles injuries.
Turner gives Antetokounmpo another floor-spacing frontcourt partner.
The former Pacers center shot a career-best 39.6% from the 3-point line this past season. He played a key role in the Pacers’ Cinderella run to the NBA Finals, averaging 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and a team-best 2.0 blocks per game.
Shortly after Turner’s signing, the Bucks continue their aggressive re-tooling by signing veteran wing Gary Harris to a two-year deal, Charania reports.
The Bucks have also brought back Bobby Portis (3-year, $44 million), Gary Trent Jr. (2-year, $7.5 million), Taurean Prince (2-year, $7.1 million) and Kevin Porter Jr. (2-year, $11 million).