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🧨 Bucks Blow It Up: Lillard Waived, Turner Signed in NBA’s Most Expensive Reset

🧨 Bucks Blow It Up: Lillard Waived, Turner Signed in NBA’s Most Expensive Reset

The largest stretch provision in league history. A superstar cut. And a shot-blocker becomes the Bucks' new bet. This isn’t a rebuild—it’s a rewire.🧠 Why it matters: Milwaukee just dumped a $113M future Hall-of-Famer to sign a shot-blocking floor spacer—Myles Turner. The Bucks have chosen defense, spacing, and financial gymnastics over superstardom.

Samuel Rogers
July 03, 2025

💰 THE NUMBERS: STRETCH, SPEND, SACRIFICE

💸 Transaction	🧾 Details
Damian Lillard waived	$112.58M remaining. Stretched over 5 years = $22.52M/year dead cap through 2029–30
Myles Turner deal	4 years, $107M. Includes player option (Year 4) + 15% trade kicker
Cap freed 2025–26	~$27M (enough to sign Turner outright)
Net cap impact	Bucks carry $22.5M/year in dead money to free up ~$4M/year of cap difference vs Lillard’s deal

🧾 Biggest stretch hit in NBA history, surpassing Nicolas Batum’s $9M/year stretch with the Hornets. This is 2.5x that.

🧠 STRATEGIC ANALYSIS: GIANNIS GOES DEFENSE-FIRST

Milwaukee’s pivot suggests a total re-prioritization:

Trait	Lillard (Old Plan)	Turner (New Plan)
Offensive Value	Primary creator, ISO scorer	Stretch big, pick-and-pop
Defensive Impact	-1.9 DRPM	+2.1 DRPM, elite rim protection
Injury Risk	Achilles tear, out through mid-2026	Durable last 3 seasons
Age	35 in July	29 entering prime
Cap Impact	$56M/year total tax hit	$26.75M/year

🧠 The thesis: Lillard’s contract → too steep for a contender. Turner offers cost-efficient, rim-protecting flexibility in the post-Lopez era.

🔬 TURNER IN MILWAUKEE: THE FIT

📈 2024–25 Stats (Pacers):

15.6 PPG / 6.5 RPG / 2.0 BPG
48.1 FG% / 39.6 3P% / 77.3 FT%
Top 3 in NBA rim contests per 36 minutes
+4.3 Net Rating when on floor

🔁 Lopez Out → Turner In

Lopez 2024 advanced stats: 1.7 BPG, 34.9% 3PT
Turner upgrades rim D and 3PT shooting
Defensive Rating projection with Turner: +2–3 improvement

📐 System fit:

Floor spacing for Giannis drives
Anchors defense with switchability
Allows Bucks to maintain 5-out spacing without sacrificing interior protection

⚠️ THE RISKS

📉 Dead cap hangover: $22.5M/year in dead money limits mid-tier depth options for 5 seasons.

🚫 Playmaker vacuum: Lillard’s exit leaves Milwaukee without a true #1 initiator.

🤔 Locker room optics: Waiving a future Hall of Famer after one year may send the wrong message to stars—and Giannis hasn’t commented yet.

📅 Giannis contract alert: Player option in 2026. This move will either extend his window or accelerate his exit.

🧠 BLUNT INSIGHT TAKE

Milwaukee didn’t just reshuffle. They detonated the backcourt to rebuild the frontcourt.

Largest financial stretch in NBA history
Highest-paid non-All-Star center in 2025
Deep cap ripple through 2030

🧩 This is not a rebuild. It’s a tactical pivot: lower usage, more spacing, and elite defense to extend Giannis’ peak window.

But now Milwaukee’s fate depends on two things:

Can Turner stay healthy & defend at a top‑5 level?
Can they find a real playmaker before the playoffs?

🔮 NEXT MOVES TO WATCH

🔁 Sign-and-trade for a vet guard? (Terry Rozier, Tyus Jones)
🎯 Targeting high-IQ secondary creators
💰 Mid-level exception depth splashes
📱 Watch Giannis’ social media + 2026 free agency signals

🧨 FINAL WORD

Milwaukee pulled the loudest free agency lever of the offseason. This isn’t a cost-cutting move—it’s a calculated gamble on team identity. They bet that rim protection + flexibility > aging stardom.

The NBA just got a lesson in cap calculus. Now we wait to see if it pays off in wins—or walkouts.

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