The Warriors are staring at a familiar kind of roster dilemma: if they want to shake loose from the Kristaps Porzingis mess, it’s going to cost them. Draft assets, another player, future cap space - maybe all three.
Myles Turner has surfaced as a major trade name for Golden State, especially after Sam Amick and Nick Friedell of The Athletic reported Wednesday that the Warriors had already held talks with the Milwaukee Bucks. Turner wasn’t named in that report, but the fit is obvious enough. He’s the same kind of big man, was made available by Milwaukee in the offseason, carries a similar salary range, and has been a target of interest for Golden State before.
The problem is what comes with him. A Turner deal would almost certainly mean the Warriors sending out another contract and attaching draft capital, while also giving up a chunk of the financial flexibility they’ve carefully protected for next summer. Golden State has been intentionally positioned to remake the roster and build around Stephen Curry again, and that plan gets harder to execute if Turner is brought in.
Turner has three years and $83 million left on the contract he signed with Milwaukee last year, and that number would cut directly into the cap space Golden State has been banking on. Curry’s decision to take slightly less on his two-year extension before the season helped create that room in the first place.
That’s also why the Warriors may be able to make something happen, even if The Athletic reported that the Bucks have little interest right now. Turner’s deal is not being treated like a bad contract, which means Golden State would probably have to pay up heavily - likely with multiple first-round picks - to make a trade real.
Still, this is where the debate gets messy. There’s a case to be made that free agency flexibility is overrated, especially for a team like the Warriors, who haven’t exactly been magnets for star outsiders in recent years. But if Golden State is going to burn its expiring deals before February’s deadline, it probably wants to do it for someone more valuable than Turner.
That’s the real choice here: now or later. Turner would give the Warriors an immediate lift as a starting center, even after a rough season in Milwaukee. But taking on the final three years of his deal would mean accepting less flexibility to chase something bigger down the line.
For Golden State, that’s the question hanging over everything right now. Do they try to improve this season, or do they hold the line and keep their eyes on next offseason?
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Draymond Green Takes A Brutal Shot At Luka Before Lakers Clash
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Draymond Green made sure to add his own sharp version of that conversation on his podcast, arguing that Doncic will never win NBA MVP and suggesting this year is his last real shot. It is the kind of comment that guarantees extra juice when the Warriors and Lakers meet, especially with Doncic now carrying the pressure of being the face of the team and one of the leagues most scrutinized stars. [Read more 🡒]