The Milwaukee Bucks are staring at a brutal post-Giannis bill, and it did not have to get this messy.
After ending the Giannis Antetokounmpo era, Milwaukee now has to carry Damian Lillard on more than $90 million in dead money over the next four years, plus Myles Turner on more than $54 million over the next three. Turner, as the source notes, was terrible. And the twist is that the Bucks already have their center of the future in Kel'El Ware.
That kind of cap damage could have been softened if the Bucks had dealt with the situation earlier instead of letting it spiral. A trade framework that was outlined last year, though not reported or rumored, would have sent John Collins and Collin Sexton from Utah to Milwaukee in exchange for Lillard, who was out for the season. Utah was trying to move Collins, Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, all on expiring deals, and eventually did move them.
For Milwaukee, the appeal was obvious: two playable expiring contracts, with a chance to expand the deal to three players if needed, which would have given the Bucks more flexibility this season no matter how those pieces turned out. It also would have put Lillard back in Utah, something he has previously said on the record he was “A-okay” with.
Instead, Milwaukee waived and stretched Lillard in order to use the cap space on Turner. That move, as expected, blew up in the Bucks’ face, and once the Giannis era was over, their outlook turned into one of the NBA’s bleakest.
There was no indication Utah and Milwaukee had ever seriously explored that kind of trade. Danny Ainge’s reputation for squeezing teams for value may have played a part, especially if he was going to demand draft capital from the Bucks.
That is the catch with a deal like this. Milwaukee may have been fooling itself into thinking the Giannis window could still be saved, but the reality was always ugly: if they traded him, the return would not be great. Moving Lillard to a team with more to gain from draft assets would have helped the Bucks more than it would have helped Utah.
In the end, it was a no-win setup for Milwaukee. Utah stayed out of it, but can at least take some comfort in knowing the Bucks are about to step into a place that looks even worse.
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Jazz May Have A Costly Walker Kessler Replacement To Consider
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The issue is that the paper part is easier than the rest. Turners recent play has left some questions hanging, and any move for him would come with a substantial price tag that would force Utah to weigh upside against long-term flexibility. Milwaukees direction only adds another layer to the discussion, because if the Bucks keep reshaping their roster, Turners status could become one of the more interesting names to watch. [Read more 🡒]