The NBA’s free agency period opened on Tuesday with the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks making some big moves, while the Chicago Bulls are nearing a new deal with Josh Giddey.
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But the biggest shock came on Wednesday as the Milwaukee Bucks cut ties with Damian Lillard in a move that reportedly has franchise superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo unhappy.
Plus, the latest on the LeBron James trade whispers.
Read on for the latest updates from NBA Free Agency!
BUCKS WAIVE DAME IN ‘LEGITIMATELY SHOCKING’ MOVE
The Bucks are doing what they can to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo from wanting to leave — and that includes kicking a former prized trade acquisition to kerb.
Milwaukee is signing former Pacers centre Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million ($A163m) contract that includes a player option and full 15 per cent trade kicker, according to ESPN.
The franchise is waiving injured guard Damian Lillard — sidelined with a torn Achilles tendon — and stretching his contract over the next five seasons to make the contract work, per the outlet.
However, in a twist, the Bucks’ franchise player is not pleased with the team moving on from Lillard, per Chris Haynes.
“He just didn’t like how it was handled,” Haynes added during a Wednesday appearance on NBA TV.
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This transaction is perhaps the wildest since NBA free agency opened Tuesday. Turner, 29, just completed his 10th NBA season, all with the Pacers, and reportedly wanted to return to the only franchise he’s known after the run to Game 7 of the Finals.
His reps let Indiana know his feelings with his two-year, $40.9 million ($A62m) deal expiring, per ESPN, but the Pacers had some reservations regarding the luxury tax, especially with star guard Tyrese Haliburton potentially missing the entire 2025-26 season after tearing his Achilles in Game 7.
In swooped Milwaukee, which is dealing with trade rumours regarding Antetokounmpo.
There have been rumblings about whether Antetokounmpo would want to stay in Milwaukee after a third straight first-round exit and with concerns about the team’s future, especially with Lillard sidelined.
Milwaukee got creative, though, by moving on from Lillard.
The Bucks acquired Lillard before the 2023-24 season but the team won zero playoff series while teaming him with Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks have waived Damian Lillard. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP
The Bucks have waived Damian Lillard. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
Lillard, who turns 35 this month, had two years and roughly $122.6 million ($A186m) left on his deal. If this deal truly angers Antetokounmpo, it could create a messy problem for the franchise.
In landing Turner, the Bucks are acquiring a big man who has improved as he has grown older.
His best season came in 2023 when he averaged 18 points per game on top of 7.5 rebounds per game, while he tallied 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season. He led the entire NBA in blocks in the 2019 and 2021 seasons.
— Ryan Giancola, New York Post
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TWIST AS ‘FOUR TEAMS’ SHOW INTEREST IN LEBRON TRADE
Rich Paul hinted that some teams are interested in trading for LeBron James.
A few teams have already reached out to him about a possible deal, James’ agent and the CEO of Klutch Sports told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“He told me that he has not had any discussion with the Lakers about wanting a trade…,” McMenamin said Monday night. “He did say that four teams have contacted him in the last 24 hours wanting to talk trades, but Rich didn’t have any substantive conversations with those teams, either.”
The four teams that reached out to Paul were not named.
It appears that any trade talks will come after the Lakers assemble their roster in free agency to allow James’ camp to better assess the talent around him.
“Right now, LeBron is focused on playing on a championship-caliber roster,” McMenamin said.
“Rich told me there’s no guarantees in building a championship-caliber roster, but we know what it looks like and it doesn’t look like and we’ll see in a week from now, when (Lakers general manager) Rob Pelinka’s finished doing his work with this roster, even it looks like a winning, realistic situation.”
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But even if the Lakers are unable to do that, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes that a trade for the superstar is highly unlikely.
“I do not think LeBron James is going to be traded,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Tuesday.
“Neither today or tomorrow or in a month or in three months.”
Windhorst pointed out that the superstar forward is already making a ton of money — $52.6 million for the 2025-26 season — which is hard to fit into a competing team’s salary cap.
Additionally, James has a no-trade clause, allowing him to be very selective about where he wants to go and making it more challenging for the Lakers to secure a good return.
With those factors stacked against the Lakers, it is understandable why a trade seems highly improbable.
Windhorst also reported that the Lakers are targeting a center to bolster their starting five and he believes DeAndre Ayton is a fit after the Blazers waived him.
The ball is now in Pelinka’s court. Can he keep the star from Akron a Laker?
— Ryan Giancola, New York Post