The Milwaukee Bucks hope to rebuild their franchise with the upcoming Giannis Antetokounmpo trade expected this summer. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks had an ugly end to the season after Giannis accused the franchise of refusing to clear him when healthy. Milwaukee’s ownership confirmed they intend to trade Antetokounmpo if he doesn’t sign a long-term extension with only one year guaranteed on his contract.
Bucks beat writer Gery Woelfel shared the following scoop about what Milwaukee wants:
“I was told the Bucks have explored the possibility of a trade package that would include Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner, who recently threw Antetokounmpo under the bus for basically being able to do whatever his heart desired last season and not facing any repercussions — like being hours late for a team flight.
While Turner and Antetokounmpo spending another season together would be crazy, a more likely scenario would have them ending up with different teams in a multi-team deal.”
The Bucks want to unload Myles Turner and his big contract after they signed him as a big free agent to appease Giannis last offseason. Milwaukee clearly wants to rebuild with a new beginning, so getting rid of one of the highest paid players more suited for a contender seems accurate.
Why Bucks Want To Trade Myles Turner
Last offseason featured a time of desperation for a Bucks franchise trying to do anything possible to keep Antetokounmpo. Damian Lillard suffering an injury to miss this entire season inspired Milwaukee to waive him to create enough cap space to sign Turner.
The Indiana Pacers making the 2025 NBA Finals with Turner as their starting center led to many people expecting him to improve the Bucks. Unfortunately, Turner struggled more as the second lead offensive option and often the top option when Giannis was out of action due to his injuries.
Trading away Antetokounmpo likely means that Milwaukee is going to invest in young talent and preparing for their distant future. Turner does not fit into that timeline and is a contract that hurts them. The leverage of trading a two-time MVP means they want to include Turner to give themselves a true fresh start.
Giannis Trade Will Likely Feature Multiple Teams
Another recent rumor indicated that teams are preparing to figure out three or four team trades to acquire Giannis. It makes more sense now that the Bucks will want to include Turner and that likely requires a different team taking him.
Most interested teams don’t have the money to acquire both Antetokounmpo and Turner. The beat writer also mentioned how Turner recently did podcasts talking about Giannis delaying team flights and showing little respect to the rest of the roster with his behavior this season.
Antetokounmpo would likely prefer to join a team without Turner continuing to be his teammate. The team acquiring Giannis also won’t want to give up even more talent to match Turner’s contract. A playoff team lacking a starting center will likely join the framework to take Turner and appease the Bucks in any Antetokounmpo trade.
Bucks Have New Major Demand In Any Giannis Trade Offers