Myles Turner discussed his reasoning for leaving the Indiana Pacers to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, focusing on his goal to play for a competitive tam.
“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, who averaged 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds last season, signed a four-year, $170 million deal with the Bucks.
Turner added that he was excited to play alongside Giannis Antetokoummpo.
“It’s a rarity to be alongside him. He’s a generational player, arguably one of the greatest players to play this game. I’m sure we’re going to talk here in the weeks to come.
“I’ve played against Giannis for quite some time now. Very familiar with his game and what he’s capable of. I do see a seamless fit. He’s someone that is able to push the ball, get out in transition, create for people,” said Turner.
Jon Horst then discussed his vision for the Bucks’ offseason, which included adding Turner and waiving-and-stretching Damian Lillard.
“All our offseason planning prior to [acquiring Turner was] thinking about how can we take this team to the next level? … 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.”
The Bucks finished fifth in the Eastern Conference last season and lost to the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.