Can the Milwaukee Bucks trade Myles Turner?
The Milwaukee Bucks are going to look much different next season with Giannis Antetokounmpo no longer on the team.
Milwaukee will have a younger squad, but one that won’t be quite as competitive.
While there are new faces like Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, and rookies Brayden Burries and Nate Ament, there are also returning players such as Ryan Rollins, Kyle Kuzma, and Myles Turner.
Turner was brought in last offseason, signing a four-year, $108 million deal. The idea was to bring in Turner as a second option next to Giannis as the Bucks looked to salvage the season after deciding to waive and stretch Damian Lillard's contract, who was going to be out for the year with an Achilles injury.
Now, with Giannis gone, the Bucks remain on the hook for three more years of Turner, unless he declines his player option worth $29 million in the final season.
A Tough Trade
While the Bucks would likely love to find a suitor for Turner, he has one of the toughest contracts to trade in the entire league.
He’s being paid more than Isaiah Hartenstein, Naz Reid, Ivica Zubac, and Mitchell Robinson despite not providing the same value as those players do on their respective teams.
Rob Gray-Imagn ImagesHe averaged 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks on 44% shooting and 38% from three last season. Those were his lowest averages since his rookie season. He remains an impactful defender, but he needs to the right players around him to work offensively.
Tyrese Haliburton got the most out of his offensive skill set, but there are only so many playmakers on the level of Haliburton in the league. The Bucks don’t have anyone close to that level.
Can He Be Traded?
Anyone in the NBA can be traded. People thought Russell Westbrook was on a bad contract with the Washington Wizards, and he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
If Turner can regain his form and prove his value on a team with a new head coach and needing a veteran to lead, suddenly his deal might not look so bad. It was just two seasons ago that he was the starting center on a team that went to the NBA Finals.
There might be a team out there looking to get off a bad contract or two of their own while having a need for a center who can protect the rim and stretch the floor.


