The Golden State Warriors hoped that Al Horford would be the stretch big they’ve sought to play alongside Steph Curry for years, but Horford has been unable to live up to that billing at the age of 39.
Golden State’s dream scenario would involve stacking players like Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Draymond Green, along with several first-round draft assets, to acquire big man Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks.
And while the Warriors would be among the best-equipped franchises to get such a deal done, the Bucks may decide not to even entertain trade offers for the two-time MVP until next summer — and Curry and the aging roster around him can’t wait that long.
So in lieu of Antetokounmpo, perhaps the next best option is to pursue his new teammate — center Myles Turner.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report on Monday, December 15 authored a trade proposal that would flip Kuminga and Podziemski to Milwaukee in exchange for Turner.
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“The Dubs need functional size on the interior, but they don’t want to spoil their spacing to get it. That’s the whole reason why sophomore center Quinten Post already has a dozen starts this season,” Buckley wrote. “Turner would basically be a turbo-charged version of the same sharpshooting mold, only with intimidating rim protection added to the mix.”
Turner has led the league in blocks twice and averages 2.2 of them per game over the course of his 11-year pro career. He has also connected on 36.3 percent of his 3-point attempts on 3.9 heaves from deep per contest over that span.
He was a key cog in the Indiana Pacers’ run to Game 7 of the NBA Finals last postseason and just inked a four-year contract worth $109 million with the Bucks over the summer, playing this year at the age of 29.
The most pertinent question is not whether Golden State would want Turner, because duh. It is whether Milwuakee would be willing to part with him for two young players with specific sorts of promise in Kuminga and Podziemski.
The Bucks signed Turner after stretching and waiving Damian Lillard in an attempt to prove to Antetokounmpo that they remain all-in on putting talent around him and building toward another championship window immediately. Thus, dealing Turner ahead of the February deadline doesn’t make all that much sense.
But Milwaukee has struggled mightily to create offense without Antetokounmpo on the floor. Kuminga is an on-ball creator, though mostly for himself, with the potential to average 20 points per night as the No. 2 option in the Bucks’ offense, and the go-to guy during games Antetokounmpo doesn’t play.
Kuminga’s addition would take some of the on-ball pressure off Antetokounmpo’s shoulders, which is essentially what the scheme is built on in 2025-26 after Lillard’s departure.
Podziemski shoots over 38 percent from deep, though on low volume (2.5 attempts per game). He is a career 10.6 points per game scorer and averages 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists for his career. Buckley’s trade proposal wouldn’t necessarily make Milwaukee a better or more dangerous team, and certainly wouldn’t improve the Bucks roster enough to render them a true threat at the top of a weak Eastern Conference.
But it would give the Bucks a different look, particularly offensively, that could end up being more conducive to success around Antetokounmpo on that end of the floor. Milwaukee might ask for a future first-round pick from the Warriors in this trade scenario, which would definitely make the deal worth it for the Bucks, but might top a price threshold that Golden State is unwilling to cross.
Newsweek