Myles Turner has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers for well over a year, yet Lakers fans have lately found reasons to scoff at the idea of LA trading for him this summer. They point to the underwhelming year that Turner had in 2025-26, his first with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Upon closer inspection, was Turner's season really that bad? His 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game were slightly below his career averages (13.9, 6.6), but his 38.3% from 3 was higher than his career 36.5 mark. Besides, Milwaukee's entire season was a mess; Turner was playing for a broken team.
It still makes sense for the Lakers to pursue Myles Turner
Turner's ability to stretch the floor on offense and protect the rim on defense would make him a good big man for Luka Doncic, even if Turner lacks the elite bounciness that the ideal Luka lob threat partner would possess. Turner also has a lot of winning experience, having come mighty close to an NBA title in 2025 with the Indiana Pacers. Are we really going to let one weird season convince us that the 30-year-old Turner isn't a good player anymore?
The Milwaukee Bucks are about to blow things up (Turner will be available)
All signs point to Milwaukee trading Giannis Antetokounmpo very soon, which will activate a blowup-and-rebuild for the Bucks. They'll be looking to move off of any long-term contracts, including Turner's $83.6 million over the next three seasons.
The Lakers would be able to throw some expiring contracts at Milwaukee in a Turner trade: Jake LaRavia's $6 million and Deandre Ayton's $8.1 million (assuming Ayton exercises his player option, which would be wise). If this were a two-team trade, LA would have to include Jarred Vanderbilt to make the money work. If Milwaukee was turned off by Vanderbilt's non-expiring deal (he's under contract for two more seasons), the Lakers might have to bring in a third team.
There's also the possibility that Milwaukee would prefer to snag Dalton Knecht over LaRavia's expiring, if the Bucks were intrigued by Knecht as a young piece to add to their rebuild. A Knecht-Ayton-Vanderbilt package would also work financially for Turner. Would Milwaukee also demand draft capital from the Lakers? Probably, and that's where negotiations would get interesting.
The Lakers revamped Marcus Smart's career; they can definitely help Myles Turner thrive
For anyone leaning into the theory that Turner's career is trending downward after one iffy season, take a look at what Marcus Smart just accomplished in 2025-26. The former Defensive Player of the Year was thought of as washed by many fans after a difficult couple of seasons, but he returned to form with the Lakers and rehabilitated his value considerably. Playing with stars like Luka Doncic and LeBron James tends to make your basketball life exciting again.
The Lakers, as such, would be the perfect place for Turner to wash his hands clean of a difficult year in Milwaukee. He's not crazy expensive, he's available, and he's a good basketball fit.
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