NBA Fans Stunned as Damian Lillard Reportedly Waived by Bucks After Turner Contract

The Milwaukee Bucks shocked the basketball world Tuesday by waiving nine-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard to make room for the signing of free-agent center Myles Turner.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Bucks are stretching the $113 million remaining on Lillard's contract over the next five seasons, and they subsequently agreed to a four-year, $107 million deal with Turner.

The move generated a ton of buzz on social media with NBA analysts and fans expressing their astonishment:

The move also apparently caught Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo off guard, as he is "not pleased" with the decision to part ways with Lillard, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.

However, Charania reported that "Turner and Antetokounmpo both valued the opportunity to partner together on the court during the process," leading to some confusion among fans regarding where Antetokounmpo truly stands on the matter:

Lillard is in line to miss most or all of the 2025-26 season after suffering a torn Achilles during the Bucks' first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers in April.

Milwaukee acquired Lillard in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers prior to the 2023-24 season in hopes that he could help Giannis win a second championship.

Lillard was productive during his two seasons with the Bucks, earning two All-Star selections and averaging 24.6 points, 7.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per game.

Despite that, the Bucks suffered first-round playoff exits in each of the past two seasons, and after Lillard tore his Achilles, speculation swirled about Milwaukee possibly making Giannis available in a blockbuster trade.

However, the Bucks have been hard at work since the free-agent negotiating window opened Monday to keep most of their core together.

Per Charania, the Bucks agreed to deals with Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr. and Taurean Prince to keep them in the fold. They lost veteran center Brook Lopez to the Los Angeles Clippers, but Turner is a strong replacement and arguably even an upgrade.

Parting ways with Lillard was perhaps the only way to make signing Turner possible from a financial perspective, and it is understandable why the Bucks were willing to go to those lengths.

For starters, Lillard turns 35 on July 15, so there is no guarantee he will be able to bounce back from a torn Achilles and be the same player he always has been.

On top of that, the Bucks have to field a competitive roster to make Giannis staying in Milwaukee an attractive option.

Without Turner, it can be argued that the Bucks may not have been a playoff team, but with a core of Giannis, Turner, Portis, Porter, Trent, Prince and Kyle Kuzma, they should at least be able to contend for a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference.

As for Lillard, his tenure in Milwaukee undoubtedly didn't go the way he wanted it to, but he now has the opportunity to rehab while getting paid, and he will be able to pick his destination either now or once he's healthy.