When the news broke that Myles Turner was signing a contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, the NBA community was shell-shocked. Many thought he would re-sign with the Indiana Pacers on the heels of a title run, and nobody expected him to join an in-division rival. But Turner recently revealed that he got to talk with Giannis Antetokounmpo before shifting base to Milwaukee, and that it pushed him to join the team.
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Star players usually play a big role when it comes to recruiting free agents. While general managers and owners determine the dollar figures, it’s often up to the players to campaign and convince others to join their squad. It’s how several superteams have formed in the past, like the LeBron-Wade-Bosh combo in Miami and the Pierce-Allen-Garnett trio in Boston.
While Turner joining the Bucks certainly doesn’t make them a superteam, he was a much-needed addition. And that’s exactly why Antetokounmpo gave him a call leading up to the deal.
“We talked a little bit. He’s in Greece right now, and I was in Hawaii when we personally talked, so it was real short,” Turner revealed during a Summer League game on ESPN.
It’s not surprising to hear that Giannis is back in Greece during the offseason. The Greek Freak is surely taking some much-needed time to mentally reset after a tough end to the season, where his Bucks got booted by the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. Many thought he might demand a trade, but Giannis appears to have committed to the team for the time being, at least.
Turner further insisted that the interest in playing together was mutual. “I do know that he expressed to the front office his interest in playing with me. The interest is mutual,” he said. Not only that, but he also sees a fit in the frontcourt alongside Giannis. “As a front court, I see the fit. Seamless. I being able to space the floor. His being able to get downhill, creating, just being the player that he is.”
Giannis did express that he was happy that the Bucks were able to sign Turner. At the same time, he also reportedly wasn’t too pleased at who they had to get rid of to afford him. Damian Lillard was given the unfortunate axe after tearing his Achilles. The Bucks decided it was time to push for a win-now approach instead of keeping an injured player on the payroll.
But seemingly, after some thinking, Giannis came to terms with the situation. Maybe he realized that with Brook Lopez now gone, Turner could be a great stretch big to replace the veteran.
“I just think the things that me and Brook did were very similar, and I even think defensively, I can help these guys be more up in defensive roles, switching and whatnot,” Turner stated.
They are very similar players with almost identical playstyles. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers even revealed how Turner couldn’t be “a more perfect fit.” The only difference is that he’s much younger. In fact, Turner is only 29. He’s still younger than Giannis, yet has been in the league for 10 seasons.
We’ll see just how seamless a transition Turner can make with Milwaukee. On paper, he looks like a perfect fit. But there were more issues with the Bucks than the presence of a younger big man. They need more depth and better shooting. If they don’t address those issues as well, it might be another long season.
