Myles Turner: Signing with Bucks about 'staying competitive' - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — Myles Turner broke his silence Thursday via a letter on social media regarding his surprise departure from the Indiana to Milwaukee, before verbalizing those thoughts Friday at Las Vegas Summer League flanked alongside coach Doc Rivers and general manager Jon Horst.

«For me, ultimately it was about just staying competitive,» Turner said. «Two years ago, we got to the Conference Finals. Obviously, last year we got to the Finals. Being a big part of winning basketball just changed my entire perspective on this league. I saw a chance to remain competitive here.»

Turner also eyed an opportunity to play alongside two-time MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

To make room to acquire Turner on a four-year, $108.9 million deal that includes a player option for 2028-29, Milwaukee waived nine-time NBA All-Star guard Damian Lillard and stretched the remaining $113 million on his contract.

Turner, 29, was the longest-tenured player for the Pacers (10 seasons) before his departure, and connected on a career-high 39.6% from 3-point range this season, in addition to averaging 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.

«We had multiple paths throughout the course of an offseason,» Horst said. «All our offseason planning prior to [acquiring Turner was] thinking about how can we take this team to the next level? How can we improve? And Myles is sitting there as the best free agent in all the market.

»You looked at ways in which we could potentially get to that and truly take our team, retool it, rethink it, modernize our style of play, impact Giannis and his development, and his growth as a playmaker with that position at the end of the season in the playoffs, and it just was a perfect fit. So, those are big