The Bucks’ reported trouble finding a trade partner for Myles Turner may not be the dead-end it first looks like. If Milwaukee keeps Turner, the team could stumble into something far more useful than a clean exit: a frontcourt pairing with Kel’el Ware that gives the Bucks a real modern wrinkle.
Turner still brings the kind of profile teams chase in today’s game. He has built his career on shot blocking and three-point shooting, the classic 3-and-D center package, and that two-way value helped the Indiana Pacers reach the NBA Finals in 2025. It remains relevant in Milwaukee, even if the fit is a little awkward for a younger roster with more long-term aims than immediate title pressure.
Ben Golliver of ESPN noted in late July that the Bucks had struggled to find a trade suitor for Turner. That has stirred some concern because Turner is 30 and carries a massive salary, but there’s also a path where the Bucks turn the problem into an asset by pairing him with Ware.
The appeal starts with how the two bigs complement each other. Turner is the rim protector; Ware is the rebounder.
Turner can erase shots at the basket, while Ware has shown the potential to become one of the league’s best on the glass. Put them together, and Milwaukee could create a two-big look that still fits the modern game instead of fighting it.
Turner’s 2025-26 season was down compared with his standards, but Giannis Antetokounmpo missed 46 games, so the context matters. Even in that uneven year, Turner still averaged 1.6 blocks in 26.9 minutes per game and hit 38.3 percent from three. Basketball Index also had him in the 94th percentile in rim protection and rim disruption, plus the 93rd percentile in rim deterrence and screener rim defense.
Ware, meanwhile, is already flashing the kind of production that makes this idea interesting. He averaged 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.8 offensive rebounds, 1.1 blocks, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 three-point field goals made in 22.1 minutes per game. On a per-36 basis, those numbers jump to 18.0 points, 14.7 rebounds, 4.6 offensive boards, 1.8 blocks, 1.2 steals, and 1.9 made threes, while shooting .530/.395/.740.
That kind of shooting from two 6'11"+ bigs opens the door to a lineup where all five players can live around the perimeter. For Milwaukee, that could mean more room for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Ryan Rollins to attack downhill, which fits their style better than a cramped floor would.
There’s also reason to think the coaching staff would be open to experimenting. Head coach Taylor Jenkins has a history of using unconventional lineups that featured three-point shooting big man Jaren Jackson Jr., and that background gives this kind of setup some real credibility.
Defensively, the pairing has a built-in logic too. Turner is strong in drop coverage against the pick and roll, which could cover for Ware when he’s not as steady in that area. Ware, for his part, is a strong rebounder on both ends, which would ease the burden on Turner, whose work on the glass has been less reliable.
Of course, there are still questions. One of the two would have to guard power forwards in space, and that is not a minor issue. Even so, as a situational look, it could be enough to help Milwaukee build a more balanced rotation and put itself in position to compete for a Play-In berth as soon as the 2026-27 season.
If the Bucks can find the right perimeter pieces around Turner and Ware, they may end up erasing the frustration around Turner’s trade market. At the very least, they could restore some of his value.
In Other News...
Former Bucks Veteran Just Added To An Unwanted Debate Around Milwaukee
Danilo Gallinaris comments this week brought an old Bucks season back into view, and not in a flattering way. The veteran forward said he regretted choosing a one-year deal with Milwaukee for the 2023-24 campaign instead of taking a two-year offer from the Clippers, a choice that now sits alongside a Bucks season that never really found its footing and ended with an early playoff exit.
For Milwaukee, the remark is less about Gallinari himself than the broader conversation it revives around that roster and how quickly expectations can sour. He played in 20 games for the Bucks and has not been back in the NBA since, but his reflection adds another layer to a year the team would rather leave behind, especially when a former addition is openly wondering if a different path would have served him better. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Kuzma Just Got The Chance Bucks Fans Have Waited For
Kyle Kuzma has spent much of his career as a power forward, but in Milwaukee hes often been asked to slide up and handle small forward duties. That kind of adjustment is part of life in the NBA, yet it also meant the Bucks never really got to see him in the spot that fits him best for a full run. With a new season approaching, the shape of the roster is giving him a cleaner path to do exactly that.
The departures of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis leave a different kind of frontcourt opening, and Kuzma is positioned to settle into a more natural role. Add in a new coach and a larger share of responsibility, and theres a real chance this becomes the setting where he looks more comfortable and more productive. For a team trying to rework its identity, getting Kuzma in the right place may end up mattering more than it first seemed. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Rollins Is Putting Real Pressure On The Bucks Backcourt Plan
Ryan Rollins has gone from intriguing depth piece to someone the Bucks have to take seriously in their long-term backcourt plans. After a breakout season, he is still on a relatively low contract, which makes his rise even more valuable for a Milwaukee roster that is always trying to balance talent, flexibility and future costs.
The timing also puts pressure on the rest of the picture, especially with Tyler Herro moving toward a much more expensive next deal. Rollins is likely to decline his player option next summer, and if he keeps trending upward, the Bucks could be looking at a real decision point where keeping the cheaper, ascending guard starts to make more sense than committing big money elsewhere. If that gap keeps widening, Milwaukee may have to weigh whether a trade before an extension becomes the cleaner path to save money and recoup draft assets. [Read more 🡒]