The Milwaukee Bucks’ surprising move to acquire center Myles Turner in free agency was one of the bigger shocks this offseason. The former Pacers big man signed a four-year contract that turned out to be more lucrative than first believed.
“Update: Milwaukee Bucks signed Myles Turner to a 4-yr, $108.9M deal, sources told @hoopshype,” reported HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto. “That’s more than initially reported. Turner got a fourth-year player option and 15% trade kicker as ESPN first noted. Turner spent 10 seasons with the Pacers & was a 2-time blocks leader.”
His move to Milwaukee comes with the largest contract of his 10-year NBA career, and the details have stirred conversation across the league.
The Pacers, who hadn’t paid the luxury tax since 2005, were apparently willing to change course to keep Turner. Team president Kevin Pritchard revealed that ownership was prepared to make a financial commitment to retain the veteran center.
“Herb Simon and Steven Rales and the Simon family were fully prepared to go deep into the (luxury) tax to keep him, and we really wanted to do that,” Pritchard said Monday during summer league practice.
He added that the team was involved in “good faith negotiations” and had “deep conversations” with Turner before learning he had chosen to join the Bucks.
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Bucks Clear Cap Space, Shock Pacers
Pritchard also admitted to being caught off guard by Milwaukee’s financial maneuvering to make the signing possible. The Bucks waived Damian Lillard and stretched the remaining $113 million of his contract over the next five seasons—an aggressive move to free up cap space.
With Turner’s new deal factored in, Milwaukee is now spending over $50 million annually on the center alone.
Turner’s ability to defend the rim and stretch the floor is seen as a perfect fit next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is still weighing his future with the franchise. Turner will likely fill a similar role to the one Brook Lopez held in Milwaukee for the past seven seasons.
Last season, Turner shot a career-best 39.6% from beyond the arc while attempting 5.5 threes per game. Over 72 games, he averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Although he has yet to make an All-Defensive Team, he’s led the league in blocks twice.
During Indiana’s run to the 2025 NBA Finals, Turner played all 23 playoff games, averaging 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per contest.
