The Los Angeles Lakers' years of rumored interest in trading for Myles Turner should be over after his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Turner spent a decade with the Pacers, where he played a key role in Indiana reaching the NBA Finals in 2025. His ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim always had LA knocking at the door. Turner left the Pacers in free agency last summer and had a massive decline in his first season with the Bucks.
He averaged 11.9 points and 1.6 blocks in 26.9 minutes per game. All three figures were Turner’s lowest since his rookie season in 2016. The 6’11 big man shot a career-worst 44.0 percent from the field and grabbed just 5.3 rebounds each night. Turner had a 0.076 win shares per 48 minutes, which is well below the league average.
The Lakers are searching for their long-term center next to Luka Doncic. Turner spent years helping the Pacers contend. He missed the playoffs for just the fourth time in 11 seasons. The 30-year-old’s decline should cross him off LA’s target list, despite the big man being readily available.
Lakers shouldn’t target Myles Turner to pair with Luka Doncic
There were warts during the Pacers' run to the NBA Finals. Turner started every playoff game, but his minutes were limited as the series wore on in the conference finals and NBA Finals. Turner was struggling to make an impact, so head coach Rick Carlisle went smaller.
The Lakers could help Turner bounce back as they did with Marcus Smart. The 6’11 big man turned 30 in March. He should still have years left as a key contributor. Playing off Luka would improve his offensive numbers, but the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
Doncic has some say over personnel decisions, and he wants a big man to set screens, catch lobs, and protect the rim. Turner twice led the NBA in blocks, but his defense took a step back. He also scored 1.13 points per possession as a roll man this season, which was just above league average.
Turner always had issues that his teams were forced to build around. He is a subpar rebounding center, and his blocks don’t tell the entire story. Turner has never made an All-Defensive team, despite leading the league in blocked shots twice.
His biggest issues in Milwaukee were on the offensive end. Turner struggled to make shots, and the Bucks had just a 112.1 offensive rating with him on the floor. Milwaukee was 5.0 points per 100 better when Turner went to the bench. For reference, a 112.1 offensive rating would have tied the Bulls for 25th in the NBA over the full season.
Turner had just 26 dunks in 71 games this season. It was his lowest total since 2022. Luka would prefer to find him on the roll, but the big man had had issues finishing inside this season. He only made 67.3 percent of his shots from zero to three feet, which was the second-worst mark of his career.
Turner just finished the first season of a four-year, $108.8 million contract. The Lakers would have to pay him like a starting center and key contributor. The Bucks will be talking trades, but that is too much to ask for a below-league-average player.
The Los Angeles Lakers can’t waste a year of Luka Doncic’s prime betting on a Myles Turner bounce-back. It is on the 30-year-old to play better if he wants a contender to trade for him. The Lakers can’t do it. They want to leap into title contention. The Lakers need a center, but they can’t be saddled with a bloated contract. Turner has to play better before LA should even consider it.
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