Myles Turner has not given the Milwaukee Bucks the year they hoped for when they signed the ex-Pacers center to a four-year, $109 million contract last summer. With the team sitting at 18-28 and staring down a second-half tank, the season as a whole has not been what anyone in the organization anticipated.
Yet there is hope. Whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo remains in Milwaukee past the February 5 trade deadline, the Bucks look poised to secure a top-10 pick in this year’s draft. If Giannis is still here then, he could have a future young star to work with, depending on how the lottery balls favor Milwaukee.
If he’s gone, the franchise should have a restored stock of assets to invest in the future, in the form of both draft capital and established young talent.
What might the future core of a competitive Bucks team look like? Could they rejoin the fray as a feisty play-in squad next as soon as next season? If they don’t recover their own 2027 first-round pick in a Giannis trade, they will have no reason to tank beyond this season, when they do own the worse of their and New Orleans’ selections. Both are projected to land top-8.
Giannis might be here next season; he might not. Beyond that, a Bucks core could look something like Ryan Rollins, AJ Green, future draft pick, and…Myles Turner? It’s just three games, but his recent performance offers hope that, unleashed in the right way, perhaps under a new coach who will make an earnest effort to maximize him, Turner could be closer to the asset the franchise thought they were getting this offseason.
Myles Turner turnaround? It’s too early to tell, but it’s a reason to hold out hope
Small sample size granted, the Milwaukee center has looked his best all season over his past three games. His performance, in fact, has only been replicated this season by one Victor Wembanyama:
Myles Turner over his last 3 games:
– 23.0 PPG
– 8.3 RPG
– 4.7 BPG
– 57/39/92 splits
– 69% true shooting
He joins Wemby as the only other player in the NBA to put up those stats over a 3 game stretch this season 😳 pic.twitter.com/ccLNwKxYBi
— Bucks Lead (@BucksLead) January 30, 2026
That stretch includes a pair of six-block games, his first 30-point outing as a Buck , and a 21-point double-double last game against the Wizards. It hasn’t been enough to help the Bucks stop losing, but at this point, the further they slip down the standings, closer to a high-end draft pick, the better.
Turner’s season stats are underwhelming: 13 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, a 43.6 FG%. No one would tell you those numbers are what Milwaukee paid for. Disappointment in Turner and the Bucks’ tank-ward trend have led to speculation that they could look to trade him at the deadline, especially in conjunction with a Giannis departure.
Nov 10, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrates with Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) during the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Selling low on Turner doesn’t have to be the answer. At this point, the Bucks would not get all that much in return. Interested teams would argue that taking on Turner’s contract, which includes a player option in year four, in fact warrants outgoing compensation from Milwaukee. Such demands are probably unjustified. Turner is still too talented a player, and too valuable in today’s game as a floor-spacing shot blocker. Even with his struggles, he’s still shooting 39% from three and averaging 1.7 blocks per game.
With or without a Giannis trade, the Bucks are better off holding onto Turner as a building block for the future. This is still a guy who averaged 16.8 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks per game in Indiana from 2022-23 through last season, on 51.7% from the field and 37.7% beyond the arc. If the past three games are any indication, Turner’s skillset might just need unlocking in Milwaukee.
That’s something Doc Rivers has failed to do in egregious fashion, banishing Turner to the perimeter while failing to take advantage of mismatches in the post. While Turner needs to take it upon himself to be more aggressive, a recurring theme this season is Turner calling for the ball and going unanswered.
Nov 22, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center/forward Myles Turner (3) celebrates making a basket against Detroit Pistons guard Caris Levert (8) in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Some will attribute his Pacers success to having Tyrese Haliburton as his point guard, but even if that is true in part, he has been criminally underutilized as a Buck.
Did the Bucks really waive and stretch Damian Lillard’s $113 million contract just to cut ties with Turner half a season later? Don’t compound one possibly rash maneuver with another. Give the guy a chance.
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