The Milwaukee Bucks took some bold swings this summer when free agency struck.
Most shockingly, Milwaukee opted to waive and stretch injured All-Star point guard Damian Lillard’s $112.6 million contract in favor of opening up some space to steal two-way center Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers via a four-year, $107 million deal. Now a free agent Lillard will now make approximately $22.5 million across the next five seasons to not play for the Bucks, regardless of what he signs to suit up elsewhere.
Lillard will likely not be available for most or all of 2025-26 while he recuperates from an Achilles tendon tear he suffered during the playoffs.
Zulfi Sheikh of Sportsnet.ca ranks the Bucks as “a tentative winner” of the summer free agency period so far.
“Lillard was going to take up a roster spot next year without likely stepping foot on the court, and with Giannis Antetokounmpo seemingly growing restless after three consecutive first-round exits, Milwaukee had few avenues to improve its lacklustre roster,” Sheikh writes.
“By waiving Lillard and stretching his salary, it gave the Bucks enough room to sign arguably the top free agent in Turner, who’ll fit exceptionally well next to the Greek superstar and represents an upgrade from Brook Lopez,” Sheikh adds. “However, Turner will essentially costs Milwaukee $50 million per season if you account for the money Lillard’s owed as well.”
That’s a lot to pay for a non-All-Star. Then again, with the league’s salary cap set to rise from 7-10% annually, the $22.5 million in dead money owed Lillard will look proportionally less invasive as the years proceed.
And bringing in Turner remains a massive upgrade over Lopez.
Lopez signed a two-year, $18 million free agent contract with his hometown L.A. Clippers. The 37-year-old 3-and-D big man was exposed in the playoffs when Turner badly outplayed him, to the point where head coach Doc Rivers subbed in defensively-challenged reserve Bobby Portis ahead of Lopez in a closeout Game 5 defeat.
