After signing Myles Turner and waiving Damian Lillard, where do the Bucks stand?

SPORTIVO
Article arrow_drop_down

One week after Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst stunned the NBA with a flurry of proposed high-profile moves, including agreeing to sign a division rival’s starting center and planning to waive and stretch the contract of a nine-time All-Star, those transactions became official over the last 24 hours.

Advertisement

The Bucks’ 2025-26 roster has begun to take shape, providing a clearer outline of what’s been accomplished and what moves they still need to make.

While much of the day involved using ink to rewrite things that had been written in pencil, the most significant revelations may have come from Indianapolis, where Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard told the media that he was shocked by how his team’s negotiations with former center Myles Turner unfolded.

“We would have been open on a sign-and-trade because it’s sort of mutually beneficial, but we didn’t get to that point, unfortunately,” Pritchard said. “I saw Shams tweet it, and that’s how I knew that Myles was taken away.”

Pritchard sidestepped direct questions regarding whether or not the Pacers were given a chance to match the Bucks’ offer, but Pritchard left little doubt that he was not expecting the Bucks to create cap space and sign Turner at the start of free agency.

Instead, that is precisely what Horst did by waiving Damian Lillard and stretching his $112 million contractthe most significant such move in NBA history — and shocking the basketball world, including Pritchard.

Business behind the news

While we reported a lot of Bucks news over the last week here at The Athletic, there were going to be more details revealing how the Bucks pulled off their roster-building strategy.

Waiving Lillard and then stretching his contract over the next five seasons (for roughly $22.5 million each year) created much of the cap space the Bucks needed to sign Turner this summer, but not all of it.

The Bucks needed to find a way to clear a bit more space, and they did that by trading Pat Connaughton and two second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets for Serbian guard Vasilije Micić. Not only did Micić make less ($8.1 million) than Connaughton ($9.4 million), but Micić was also willing to work with the Bucks on a contract buyout. That assistance helped the Bucks create enough space to sign Turner and also prevented the team from exceeding the stretched salary threshold for the 2025-26 season.

Advertisement

On Monday, The Athletic reported that Micić agreed to a $6.1 million buyout, which shrunk his salary cap hit for the 2025-26 season to only $2 million before the Bucks waived him. Teams are not allowed to have more than 15 percent of their salary cap taken up by stretched money in any season, and that buyout, plus the subsequent waive-and-stretch, kept the Bucks from going over the limit.

On Monday, the Bucks thanked Lillard for his time in Milwaukee. With injuries hampering Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the postseason, Lillard’s time in Milwaukee did not go as anyone could have expected when Horst made the surprising move to acquire one of the NBA’s top 75 players a few days before the 2023-24 season.

In 131 regular-season games with the Bucks, Lillard averaged 24.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists, but he ended up only playing 62 playoff minutes with Antetokounmpo in three playoff games, all this postseason.

More signings are expected to become official in the coming days. On Monday, the Bucks announced that they had signed Turner and re-signed point guard Kevin Porter Jr. and big man Bobby Portis.

On Monday night, Mike Scotto reported that Turner’s deal with the Bucks was for four years and $108.9 million. The Athletic can confirm that report, and the cap math behind it shows that the Bucks ended up giving every dollar of cap space they created by waiving Lillard and Micić to Turner’s first-year salary.

Also, a league source tells The Athletic that Andre Jackson Jr. and the Bucks agreed to push back the guarantee date on his $2.2 million contract for the 2025-26 season. In exchange for allowing his guarantee date to be pushed back, the Bucks guaranteed a portion of Jackson’s contract for next season.

Advertisement

The move does not alter the contract options the Bucks have available to sign free agents at the moment or “open up more space” for a free agent. The Bucks are still only able to use minimum contracts or what remains of the room exception (roughly $3.6 million, which is about the same as a minimum contract for a 10-year NBA veteran) after using part of it to sign Porter.

Depth chart

While more moves still need to become official, this could be a reasonable facsimile of a depth chart for the Bucks for the time being:

Starters Bench

PG

Kevin Porter Jr.

Ryan Rollins

SG

Gary Trent Jr.

AJ Green

Gary Harris

SF

Kyle Kuzma

Taurean Prince

Andre Jackson Jr.

PF

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Bobby Portis

Tyler Smith

C

Myles Turner

Jericho Sims

While the chart above lists a group of starters, there are plenty of other combinations among the top eight to 10 players that could make sense in the starting lineup.

Reasonable minds can disagree on starting Gary Trent Jr. over AJ Green or only starting one of the Bucks’ two best 3-point shooters. Others might feel better bringing Kyle Kuzma off the bench or letting Porter work with the reserves while Ryan Rollins opens the game with the starters, as the Bucks chose to do at the end of the regular season. All those opinions are reasonable, but this is a simple projection of the roster for now because those questions will work themselves out once the team opens training camp in three months.

Typically, over the last five years, this would be the space where we’d explain how much money the Bucks have between various aprons and their options for avoiding different problems. This time, however, the drastic move of waiving and stretching Lillard (and Micić) and signing Turner with cap space took the Bucks out of those types of conversations.

The signings (and re-signings) of Harris, Prince, Rollins, Sims and Trent still need to be announced and the official details need to be confirmed. Still, as it stands unofficially, the Bucks currently have two open roster spots left for free agents, and they sit over $20 million away from entering the luxury tax. That number will shrink with signings, but the Bucks are not subject to either of the CBA’s hard caps.

The Bucks have the option to use one of those open roster spots on Bogoljub Marković, the No. 47 pick in this past year’s NBA Draft. They could also keep him stashed overseas or maybe see if he’d be willing to sign a two-way deal as Koby Brea (No. 41 to the Phoenix Suns) or Jamir Watkins (No. 43 to the Washington Wizards) did. They could also open up a third roster spot if they wanted to waive Jackson and only end up paying him the money they guaranteed to him by pushing back the guarantee date on his contract. They could take on more salary in a trade if they found the right deal.

Advertisement

There are options, but those options currently do not include spending more than roughly $3.6 million in the first year of a free agent’s salary.

Remaining needs

The roster above shows a team built around Antetokounmpo as its lead playmaker, a strategy the Bucks used to close out last season when Lillard was sidelined due to deep vein thrombosis. After a test run to close the regular season, the Bucks also leaned into that setup in the playoffs and found themselves in a position to steal Game 5 in Indiana.

However, a series of unfortunate events in the final minutes led to a loss and eliminated them from the playoffs. Antetokounmpo was spectacular in Game 5, putting up 30 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists, but he also committed seven turnovers.

With so much shot-creation responsibility put on his shoulders without Lillard, Antetokounmpo committed more turnovers than usual. The same was true in Game 1 without Lillard when Antetokounmpo committed five turnovers. After the Bucks were eliminated, the two-time NBA MVP discussed how much he enjoyed the role and how he can envision it being the next stage of his career. That, however, doesn’t mean the Bucks should surround him only with shooters and let him handle the ball, creating everything for his teammates on every possession.

Adding more ballhandling or shot creation could make things easier for Antetokounmpo. That should be a priority for the Bucks as they finalize their roster. Porter, 25, and Rollins, 23, are solid upside bets as point guards alongside Antetokounmpo. Still, the Bucks may want to find a sure-handed veteran point guard who can set up the team or a shooting guard such as Bradley Beal, who had the Bucks on a list of teams he’d consider if the Suns buy him out. Beal can be a playmaker, rather than relying primarily on his 3-point shooting like Trent and Green.

As always, the Bucks might also want to see if they can find any young players to add on the wing. Teams can never have enough capable wings. While the Bucks have Kuzma and Prince in that spot now, both might be a better fit at the four, if not for the lack of available minutes at the position.

If the Bucks could add a young wing with size, such as Dalano Banton or Amir Coffey, it might end up being a worthwhile investment for the future.

(Photo of Myles Turner and Bobby Portis: Joe Murphy / NBAE via Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

About the author

About the author call_made

SPORTIVO

More posts

trending_flat
Caitlin Clark expected to return for Fever. Here’s how to watch their game vs. Valkyries

Following a two-week absence due to a groin injury, Caitlin Clark is expected to make her much-anticipated return Wednesday afternoon as the Indiana Fever welcome the Golden State Valkyries to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time.They’re both expansion teams by different measures: one brand new, the other reshaped by a spotlight that doesn’t always wait for results. Now they meet as equals, both still figuring out what sticks when the hype fades.AdvertisementHow to watch Golden State Valkyries at Indiana Fever Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis Time: Noon ET, Wednesday TV: NBA TV, WNBA League Pass (national); WTHR Channel 13, KPIX 5, KOVR 13 (in market) Streaming: Fubo (try for free) Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub. The Valkyries (9-9) come to Indianapolis having lost two straight and three of five. On Monday, they fell 90-81 to Atlanta, surrendering 43.9 […]

trending_flat
Caitlin Clark expected to return for Fever. Here’s how to watch their game vs. Valkyries

Following a two-week absence due to a groin injury, Caitlin Clark is expected to make her much-anticipated return Wednesday afternoon as the Indiana Fever welcome the Golden State Valkyries to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time.They’re both expansion teams by different measures: one brand new, the other reshaped by a spotlight that doesn’t always wait for results. Now they meet as equals, both still figuring out what sticks when the hype fades.AdvertisementHow to watch Golden State Valkyries at Indiana Fever Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis Time: Noon ET, Wednesday TV: NBA TV, WNBA League Pass (national); WTHR Channel 13, KPIX 5, KOVR 13 (in market) Streaming: Fubo (try for free) Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub. The Valkyries (9-9) come to Indianapolis having lost two straight and three of five. On Monday, they fell 90-81 to Atlanta, surrendering 43.9 […]

„Wir hatten viele Unterbrechungen!“ – VAR-Wahnsinn gegen Dänemark

Wir haben personalisierte Videos für dich! Um mit Inhalten von Drittanbietern zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir deine Zustimmung. externen Inhalt aktivieren Um eingebettete Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist Ihre jederzeit widerrufliche Einwilligung (über den Schalter oder über " Widerruf Tracking und Cookies " am Seitenende) zur Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten nötig. Dabei können Daten in Drittländer wie die USA übermittelt werden (Art. 49 Abs. 1 lit. a DSGVO). Mit dem Aktivieren des Inhalts stimmen Sie zu. Weitere Infos finden Sie hier.

Fitness-Bedenken! – United-Boss verbietet Amorims Transfer-Plan

Transfer-Kehrtwende!Manchester United will sich offensiv unbedingt verstärken, und Trainer Ruben Amorim (40) hatte dafür bereits die optimale Lösung im Sinn: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (28). Der Mittelstürmer ist momentan auf Vereinssuche, nachdem sein Vertrag beim FC Everton Ende Juni nach neun Jahren im Klub ausgelaufen ist. Wie die „Sun“ kürzlich berichtete, soll es sogar schon einen ersten Kontakt zum ehemaligen englischen Nationalspieler (11 Länderspiele) gegeben haben. Die United-Bose rund um Sir Jim Ratcliffe (72) sollen dem Transfer-Plan nun allerdings den Riegel vorgeschoben haben. Der Grund: zu große Bedenken wegen der Fitness des Angreifers! Der Vertrag von Dominic Calvert-Lewin (28) beim FC Everton lief Ende Juni ausFoto: Getty Images<!-->]-->Wie „GiveMeSport“ berichtet, wird Calvin-Lewin wohl seine Verletzungshistorie zum Verhängnis. In der vergangenen Premier-League-Saison setzte ihn erst eine Knöchelblessur und wenig später dann eine Oberschenkelverletzung außer Gefecht, die ihn schließlich auch seinen Stammplatz kostete. Insgesamt […]

Wunde entzündete sich – Rangnick: Komplikationen nach Operation

Sorgen um Ralf Rangnick (67). Österreichs Nationaltrainer ist innerhalb von wenigen Tagen zweimal operiert worden. Die erste OP war lange geplant, die zweite resultierte aus Komplikationen. Wie „oe24“ berichtet, hatte sich Rangnick zunächst einer Operation am Sprunggelenk unterzogen. Das bestätigte auch der Österreichische Fußballbund (ÖFB). Diese sei schon lange geplant gewesen; den früheren Bundesliga-Trainer (u.a. Stuttgart, Schalke, Leipzig) plagten schon lange Probleme.„Aus dem Nähkästchen plaudern…“: So laufen die Bayern-Gespräche über Woltemade<!-->[-->Quelle: BILD07.07.2025Der Eingriff in einer Salzburger Klinik verlief den Angaben zufolge problemlos, Rangnick wurde kurz darauf entlassen. Doch nach der Entlassung kam es zu Komplikationen – die Wunde entzündete sich, Rangnick musste erneut ins Krankenhaus. Dort bekamen die Ärzte die Entzündung in den Griff – sie heilt nun ab.Die OP sei gut verlaufen und Rangnick befinde sich auf dem Weg der Besserung, sagte ein Sprecher von Rangnick der österreichischen Nachrichtenagentur […]

Was ihr überhaupt nicht passte – Tennis-Superstar lässt Frust an Ballkindern aus

Weltranglistenerste Aryna Sabalenka galt nach dem frühen Aus vieler Top-Gesetzter als klare Favoritin auf den Wimbledon-Titel – doch ihr Viertelfinale gegen die Deutsche Laura Siegemund (37) wurde zur echten Nerven-Schlacht. Und schon früh machte die Belarussin ihrem Ärger deutlich Luft – ausgerechnet gegenüber den Ballkindern!Beim Stand von 0:3 im ersten Satz war die Sabalenka sichtbar frustriert. Siegemund legte einen furiosen Start hin, streute clevere Stoppbälle ein und zwang Sabalenka immer wieder zu Fehlern. Die Nerven lagen blank!Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Beim Aufschlagspiel vor der Royal Box platzte Sabalenka der Kragen: Als die Ballkinder nicht schnell genug reagierten und keine Bälle für sie parat hatten, gestikulierte sie genervt mit ausgebreiteten Armen und rollte mit den Augen. Die Bälle mussten von Siegemunds Seite herübergerollt werden – das passte Sabalenka überhaupt nicht. Einige der angebotenen Bälle schlug sie genervt zurück zu den Ballkindern.Wimbledon-Debüt dank Model-Jobs!: […]

Related

trending_flat
Caitlin Clark expected to return for Fever. Here’s how to watch their game vs. Valkyries

Following a two-week absence due to a groin injury, Caitlin Clark is expected to make her much-anticipated return Wednesday afternoon as the Indiana Fever welcome the Golden State Valkyries to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time.They’re both expansion teams by different measures: one brand new, the other reshaped by a spotlight that doesn’t always wait for results. Now they meet as equals, both still figuring out what sticks when the hype fades.AdvertisementHow to watch Golden State Valkyries at Indiana Fever Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis Time: Noon ET, Wednesday TV: NBA TV, WNBA League Pass (national); WTHR Channel 13, KPIX 5, KOVR 13 (in market) Streaming: Fubo (try for free) Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub. The Valkyries (9-9) come to Indianapolis having lost two straight and three of five. On Monday, they fell 90-81 to Atlanta, surrendering 43.9 […]

trending_flat
Caitlin Clark expected to return for Fever. Here’s how to watch their game vs. Valkyries

Following a two-week absence due to a groin injury, Caitlin Clark is expected to make her much-anticipated return Wednesday afternoon as the Indiana Fever welcome the Golden State Valkyries to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time.They’re both expansion teams by different measures: one brand new, the other reshaped by a spotlight that doesn’t always wait for results. Now they meet as equals, both still figuring out what sticks when the hype fades.AdvertisementHow to watch Golden State Valkyries at Indiana Fever Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis Time: Noon ET, Wednesday TV: NBA TV, WNBA League Pass (national); WTHR Channel 13, KPIX 5, KOVR 13 (in market) Streaming: Fubo (try for free) Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub. The Valkyries (9-9) come to Indianapolis having lost two straight and three of five. On Monday, they fell 90-81 to Atlanta, surrendering 43.9 […]

„Wir hatten viele Unterbrechungen!“ – VAR-Wahnsinn gegen Dänemark

Wir haben personalisierte Videos für dich! Um mit Inhalten von Drittanbietern zu interagieren oder diese darzustellen, brauchen wir deine Zustimmung. externen Inhalt aktivieren Um eingebettete Inhalte anzuzeigen, ist Ihre jederzeit widerrufliche Einwilligung (über den Schalter oder über " Widerruf Tracking und Cookies " am Seitenende) zur Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten nötig. Dabei können Daten in Drittländer wie die USA übermittelt werden (Art. 49 Abs. 1 lit. a DSGVO). Mit dem Aktivieren des Inhalts stimmen Sie zu. Weitere Infos finden Sie hier.

Fitness-Bedenken! – United-Boss verbietet Amorims Transfer-Plan

Transfer-Kehrtwende!Manchester United will sich offensiv unbedingt verstärken, und Trainer Ruben Amorim (40) hatte dafür bereits die optimale Lösung im Sinn: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (28). Der Mittelstürmer ist momentan auf Vereinssuche, nachdem sein Vertrag beim FC Everton Ende Juni nach neun Jahren im Klub ausgelaufen ist. Wie die „Sun“ kürzlich berichtete, soll es sogar schon einen ersten Kontakt zum ehemaligen englischen Nationalspieler (11 Länderspiele) gegeben haben. Die United-Bose rund um Sir Jim Ratcliffe (72) sollen dem Transfer-Plan nun allerdings den Riegel vorgeschoben haben. Der Grund: zu große Bedenken wegen der Fitness des Angreifers! Der Vertrag von Dominic Calvert-Lewin (28) beim FC Everton lief Ende Juni ausFoto: Getty Images<!-->]-->Wie „GiveMeSport“ berichtet, wird Calvin-Lewin wohl seine Verletzungshistorie zum Verhängnis. In der vergangenen Premier-League-Saison setzte ihn erst eine Knöchelblessur und wenig später dann eine Oberschenkelverletzung außer Gefecht, die ihn schließlich auch seinen Stammplatz kostete. Insgesamt […]

Wunde entzündete sich – Rangnick: Komplikationen nach Operation

Sorgen um Ralf Rangnick (67). Österreichs Nationaltrainer ist innerhalb von wenigen Tagen zweimal operiert worden. Die erste OP war lange geplant, die zweite resultierte aus Komplikationen. Wie „oe24“ berichtet, hatte sich Rangnick zunächst einer Operation am Sprunggelenk unterzogen. Das bestätigte auch der Österreichische Fußballbund (ÖFB). Diese sei schon lange geplant gewesen; den früheren Bundesliga-Trainer (u.a. Stuttgart, Schalke, Leipzig) plagten schon lange Probleme.„Aus dem Nähkästchen plaudern…“: So laufen die Bayern-Gespräche über Woltemade<!-->[-->Quelle: BILD07.07.2025Der Eingriff in einer Salzburger Klinik verlief den Angaben zufolge problemlos, Rangnick wurde kurz darauf entlassen. Doch nach der Entlassung kam es zu Komplikationen – die Wunde entzündete sich, Rangnick musste erneut ins Krankenhaus. Dort bekamen die Ärzte die Entzündung in den Griff – sie heilt nun ab.Die OP sei gut verlaufen und Rangnick befinde sich auf dem Weg der Besserung, sagte ein Sprecher von Rangnick der österreichischen Nachrichtenagentur […]

Was ihr überhaupt nicht passte – Tennis-Superstar lässt Frust an Ballkindern aus

Weltranglistenerste Aryna Sabalenka galt nach dem frühen Aus vieler Top-Gesetzter als klare Favoritin auf den Wimbledon-Titel – doch ihr Viertelfinale gegen die Deutsche Laura Siegemund (37) wurde zur echten Nerven-Schlacht. Und schon früh machte die Belarussin ihrem Ärger deutlich Luft – ausgerechnet gegenüber den Ballkindern!Beim Stand von 0:3 im ersten Satz war die Sabalenka sichtbar frustriert. Siegemund legte einen furiosen Start hin, streute clevere Stoppbälle ein und zwang Sabalenka immer wieder zu Fehlern. Die Nerven lagen blank!Lesen Sie auch<!-->[-->Beim Aufschlagspiel vor der Royal Box platzte Sabalenka der Kragen: Als die Ballkinder nicht schnell genug reagierten und keine Bälle für sie parat hatten, gestikulierte sie genervt mit ausgebreiteten Armen und rollte mit den Augen. Die Bälle mussten von Siegemunds Seite herübergerollt werden – das passte Sabalenka überhaupt nicht. Einige der angebotenen Bälle schlug sie genervt zurück zu den Ballkindern.Wimbledon-Debüt dank Model-Jobs!: […]

Be the first to leave a comment

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sportivo bridges the gap between talent and opportunity.

About SPORTIVO

Sportivo Network is a dedicated social platform for sports enthusiasts, athletes, and scouts. Whether you’re an aspiring athlete looking for opportunities, a coach searching for talent, or simply a sports lover wanting to connect with like-minded people, Sportivo is your go-to network. With features like direct messaging, profile showcasing, and talent scouting, Sportivo bridges the gap between talent and opportunity. Here, you can share your achievements, interact with professionals, and open doors to the next level in your sports journey. Join Sportivo Network – because every great athlete deserves to be discovered!
Copyright © 2025 SPORTIVO News. and SPORTIVO Network. All rights reserved.

Login to enjoy full advantages

Please login or subscribe to continue.

Go Premium!

Enjoy the full advantage of the premium access.

Stop following

Unfollow Cancel

Cancel subscription

Are you sure you want to cancel your subscription? You will lose your Premium access and stored playlists.

Go back Confirm cancellation