The NBA offseason has been full of many moves thus far but one that took place on Tuesday might have been the most shocking move thus far.
On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Bucks signed Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner as he now leaves Indiana to join their rival in Milwaukee.
While this move was a massive shock to the NBA world as many believed that the star big man would return to the Pacers, the Bucks made an even more surprising decision after signing him.
For the Bucks to sign Turner, they had to clear up cap space and they decided to do so by waiving superstar point guard Damian Lillard just two seasons after landing him in a blockbuster trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Former Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0).
Former Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0).
Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Of course, Lillard is set to miss most, or all, of next season due to a torn Achilles that he suffered in the first round of the playoff last season but he is now one of the top available players on the free agent market.
With Lillard now hitting the open market in free agency, he has been linked to many team but a surprise Western Conference team has emerged as one of the favorites to sign him.
According to BetUS, the Golden State Warriors have the fifth-best odds (+600) of signing Lillard this offseason.
The Miami Heat are the favorite (+200) to sign him and they are followed by the Portland Trail Blazers (+300) and Denver Nuggets (+400).
Of course, Lillard has ties to Golden State as the 34-year-old star is from Oakland and is also friends with Stephen Curry and previously wanted to play alongside Jimmy Butler in Miami.
Damian Lillard
Feb 10, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) passes the ball away from Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum.
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Because of this, the Warriors have emerged as a potential landing spot for the nine-time All-Star this offseason and he would be an interesting fit next to Curry in the backcourt as they would be a lethal duo on the offensive end.
Despite this, many teams are expected to show interest in Lillard this summer and Golden State could end up holding off on him due to his injury.