Free agent center Myles Turner has agreed to a four-year, $107 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, plus a player option for year four in 2028-29 and a full 15% trade kicker, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
Turner, the longest-tenured Pacers player over 10 seasons with the franchise, made it known he wished to remain in Indiana. Since the Pacers’ Game 7 exit in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Turner’s reps pushed to get a deal done. Ultimately, Indiana’s aversion to the luxury tax, which grew after Tyrese Haliburton‘s torn Achilles injury, allowed the Bucks to acquire their new franchise center.
The 29-year-old Turner was a big part of the Pacers’ success as the 6-foot-11 big man can capably space the floor and defend the rim. This season, he shot a career-best 39.6% from 3-point range while averaging 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and a team-best 2.0 blocks per game.
He had a team-record 46 blocks during the Pacers’ postseason run.
Turner is one of just three players in NBA history with 700 3-pointers and 1,400 blocks, along with Brook Lopez and Rasheed Wallace.
In a scarce market during the early days of free agency, Bucks general manager and CAA Co-Head of Basketball Austin Brown partnered on executing a complex, massive deal to reshape Milwaukee and allow the franchise to retool aggressively again around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks have re-signed sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr., forward Taurean Prince and guard Kevin Porter Jr. this offseason, while losing Lopez, who signed with the LA Clippers.
The Bucks had visions of attempting to acquire Turner, but had no pathway due to their salary restrictions, but Horst and Brown huddled on Monday and Tuesday to create an opening.
Turner and Antetokounmpo both valued the opportunity to partner together on the court during the process, sources told ESPN.
With Antetokounmpo considering his future and whether his best fit was with the Bucks moving forward, Milwaukee executives once again make a major move.
In 2020, Horst acquired Jrue Holiday in a blockbuster trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. In 2023, the Bucks in similar fashion acquired Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers. Now, Horst acquires Turner, showing the commitment to build a contender in the Eastern Conference with Antetokounmpo in his prime — while taking a key piece from a fellow East threat.
ESPN Research contributed to this report.
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