The Golden State Warriors Myles Turner trade idea has a clear obstacle: Milwaukee isn’t playing along. Golden State contacted the Bucks about a deal involving Kristaps Porzingis, according to reporting from Sam Amick and Nick Friedell of The Athletic, but Milwaukee is not believed to be interested in acquiring the Latvian big man.
The call itself is revealing. Golden State has been shopping Porzingis on the trade market while he remains absent with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a condition that has kept the one-time NBA champion off the floor. Rather than simply seeking a salary dump, the Warriors appear to be aiming higher — and Turner is the name that fits their preferred profile.
Why Turner appeals to Golden State
Turner is a stretch five, the same archetype as Porzingis, and that similarity is no coincidence. Golden State’s reported interest in a swap built around Turner suggests the front office wants to preserve the spacing and rim protection that a shooting big man provides, even while Porzingis is unavailable.
Turner, 30, is in the second year of a four-year, $108.9 million contract. His 2026-27 cap hit is roughly $26.6 million, while Porzingis earns $20 million per year. That gap matters because Golden State is over the luxury tax’s first apron and cannot take back more salary than it sends out in a trade. Any deal for Turner would require the Warriors to bridge the difference, likely by including additional salary or finding a third team.
Draft assets could help. Golden State has several tradeable first-round picks, and Milwaukee would presumably expect significant compensation for a veteran leader who has become a foundational piece in the post-Giannis Antetokounmpo rebuild. The specific package discussed between the two sides has not been reported.
Milwaukee's early-season stance
The Bucks have little appetite for shaking up their roster this early in the campaign. Turner is part of that stability. In Milwaukee’s season-opening loss to Washington at Capital One Arena on Oct. 21, 2026, he finished with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists, shooting 4-for-7 from the field in 32 minutes.
He was direct afterward about the team’s defensive problems, acknowledging that the Bucks struggled to contain Washington. Anthony Davis scored 34 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a dominant performance that underlined the challenge.
For now, the trade conversation appears stalled. Golden State made the call; Milwaukee declined the premise. Whether the Bucks reconsider — and whether Porzingis’s health timeline changes the equation — remains unknown.
