The Golden State Warriors are reportedly after draft assets to take on the remaining nearly three years of Myles Turner’s contract, with that tough trade stance already being proven right by the veteran center early this season.
Many Milwaukee Bucks fans laughed off the idea of the Warriors pursuing draft capital in addition to Turner, but it’s getting increasingly more difficult to understand why it would be Golden State who would have to give up picks in the deal.
Myles Turner proving Warriors right on trade stance
Turner's sluggish play was again evident on Sunday night against the Boston Celtics, with The Ringer's Bill Simmons bringing it to everyone’s attention by posting a clip to social media that brutally showcased the 30-year-old’s lack of effort.
For a team that just got beaten up on the glass by the Orlando Magic, including a 24-3 differential in offensive rebounds, The Warriors shouldn’t be trading for a player who has no intent to compete on the glass despite his 6'11" size.
I’ve watched this 12 times pic.twitter.com/plUTOssQKo
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) November 9, 2026
Turner seemingly isn’t interested in being much of an offensive threat either, having averaged just 7.1 points this season on lowly 34.6% shooting from the floor and 26.7% from three-point range. His last two games, in particular, have yielded a combined three points in nearly 48 minutes on the floor.
The idea that a playoff team will suddenly persuade Turner to raise his effort level and be more impactful on both ends of the floor is a gamble the Warriors simply shouldn’t be taking, unless they’re incentivized by draft capital which could be used again to get off the former Pacer if things don’t pan out.
Kristaps Porzingis' trade value is going up as Myles Turner’s goes down
As much as Bucks fans point to the lack of value in Kristaps Porzingis because he'll seemingly never play basketball again, his appeal to rival teams has actually gone up in the past week with reports he’s willing to take a significant buyout and therefore give a rival suitor a significant reduction to their payroll.
There could be multiple teams around the league who suddenly become interested in Porzingis as a means to shed short or longer term salary, and Milwaukee themselves should be one of those. It would be a gift to get off Turner's contract based on his current form, not to mention that's exacerbated by the fact they're still paying Damian Lillard after waiving-and-stretching the star guard to acquire Turner in the first place.
The Warriors should have better and more valuable options on the table over the coming weeks, and Turner's production (or lack thereof) is indicating exactly why they need picks from the Bucks to make a deal work.
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