Bucks Waive Damian Lillard, Sign Myles Turner Amid Injury Concerns
The Milwaukee Bucks have waived Damian Lillard due to injury and signed Myles Turner to strengthen their roster for the upcoming season.
Overview
- The Milwaukee Bucks have waived star guard Damian Lillard, stretching his remaining $113 million salary over five seasons.
- Lillard is expected to miss the entire next season due to a torn Achilles tendon and is recovering from surgery.
- In response to the departure of Brook Lopez to the Clippers, the Bucks signed Myles Turner to bolster their center position.
- Myles Turner has demonstrated strong performance this season, shooting 39.6% from 3-point range and achieving 700 3-pointers and 1,400 blocks in his career.
- The Bucks' roster changes aim to maintain competitiveness in the upcoming season despite Lillard's absence.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the Bucks' decisions as strategic yet controversial, highlighting the impact of Lillard's injury and the addition of Turner. The tone suggests skepticism about the team's direction, reflecting a bias towards evaluating management choices critically while acknowledging potential benefits in roster adjustments.
Waiving Lillard renders the decision to acquire him a failure.
Antetokounmpo was not pleased with the way the Bucks handled Lillard’s departure.
The Pacers avoided onerous luxury tax payments by re-signing Turner.
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Center (1)
"…The Bucks may have an uphill battle to keep Antetokounmpo happy."
USA TODAY·2d·FAQ
The Milwaukee Bucks waived Damian Lillard because he is expected to miss the entire next season due to a torn Achilles tendon and they needed to manage his remaining $113 million salary by stretching it over five years to make roster adjustments.
Myles Turner is expected to strengthen the Bucks' roster by bolstering the center position, especially after the departure of Brook Lopez, with his strong performance including a 39.6% three-point shooting rate and a career total of 700 three-pointers and 1,400 blocks.
The Bucks stretched Damian Lillard's remaining $113 million contract over five years, rather than paying it out over the originally planned two seasons, to create salary cap flexibility for signing Myles Turner.
Damian Lillard is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season as he recovers from surgery on a torn Achilles tendon, with his rehabilitation timeline suggesting a full season absence.
Myles Turner joined the Bucks after the Pacers' outlook changed due to Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles injury, which opened the door for Turner to negotiate a four-year, $107 million deal with Milwaukee rather than returning to Indianapolis.
History
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