Myles Turner Joins Bucks on $107M Deal, Replacing Lopez as Milwaukee’s New Defensive Anchor

The Milwaukee Bucks have made one of the biggest splashes of the 2025 NBA offseason.

According to Shams Charania (ESPN) and multiple reports, Myles Turner has agreed to a four-year, $107 million deal with Milwaukee. The deal includes a player option for 2028-29 and a 15% trade kicker, signaling both the Bucks’ long-term commitment to Turner and the value they place on his shot-blocking, floor-spacing skillset.

Turner Takes Over the Paint

After a decade in Indiana, where he became the franchise’s all-time leader in blocked shots and a core figure during the team’s return to the NBA Finals in 2025, Turner now heads to Milwaukee to replace Brook Lopez, who reportedly signed a two-year deal with the LA Clippers.

• 2024-25 stats (IND): 15.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.0 BPG

• Career stats: 13.4 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.3 BPG

• NBA leader in blocks per game (twice): 2019, 2021

At 28, Turner still has prime years ahead, and his ability to stretch the floor (36% from 3 last season) alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo makes this a smart, modern move for Milwaukee.

Bucks Reconfigure Core

In a surprise cap-clearing move, the Bucks will reportedly waive Damian Lillard, who is expected to miss most or all of 2025-26 with an Achilles injury. It’s a stunning end to Lillard’s brief stint in Milwaukee, which failed to produce a deep playoff run due to injuries and inconsistency.

With Lillard gone and Lopez off to L.A., the Bucks’ new core now revolves around:

• Giannis Antetokounmpo

• Myles Turner

• Kyle Kuzma

• Taurean Prince

• Young guard MarJon Beauchamp, among others

This gives Milwaukee a defensive identity again, after slipping on that end in 2024-25.

What It Means for the Pacers

Indiana was at a crossroads with the luxury tax looming and star guard Tyrese Haliburton unlikely to play in 2025-26 after his Finals injury. With Pascal Siakam still in place and younger bigs like Jarace Walker developing, the Pacers are retooling around their remaining core rather than paying big for continuity.

This also ends years of trade speculation around Turner, who stuck with the franchise through multiple regimes and was the defensive backbone for a Finals run many thought unlikely just a year ago.

Big Picture

Turner’s signing closes a chapter in Indiana and opens a new one in Milwaukee. The Bucks are betting on a healthier, younger core to return them to the top of the East — and Turner could be the perfect modern center to do just that.

With question marks around Lillard’s future and Lopez’s departure, this move injects new life into a roster that still boasts one of the league’s most dominant players in Giannis. Now the question becomes: Can Turner help the Bucks return to title contention?