Giannis is ‘LOOKING FOR REASONS’ to stay with the Bucks – Brian Windhorst | SportsCenter

Giannis is ‘LOOKING FOR REASONS’ to stay with the Bucks – Brian Windhorst | SportsCenter

making in excess of $70 million. He’s the only one, but now SGA is right there, and we love that for him. It’s the second day of NBA free agency. He did have a big deal. Bucks signed former Pacers center Miles Turner to a 4-year, $17 million deal. And to pay for it, they waved a ninetime all-star Damen Lillard. So, they’re going to spread his $113 million over five years. We’ve already mentioned Sans Theres he’ll miss, if not all, most of next season. Let’s say hi to our senior NBA reporter, Brian Windhorse. We just asked Shams this question and we already know anything involving Bucks. We’re going to ask the question of how it impacts in any way Giannis’ future there. So, I’m going to present that same question to you. What does it all mean?
Well, this is an audacious and brazen move the likes of which the NBA has really never seen this type of strategy to keep Giannis engaged and happy. Over the last seven years, the Bucks have traded away just about all their draft picks. They have used up all of their salary cap. And so to do this move, they basically borrowed from their 2028, 29 and 30 salary caps to, you know, sort of get this opportunity to add to the team. It is definitely a strong replacement for Brook Lopez who they lost yesterday because Miles Turner fits very well alongside Giannis. He can stretch the floor. He’s a slightly better rebounder than Lopez. He protects the rim. It’s a very nice addition, but I’m not sure it’s a needle mover. It’s a needle mover when you’re not able to do anything and you do this something. It’s absolutely grabs the headline, but I still think the Bucks are roughly in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference, just like they were in the middle of the pack last year. And they have to worry about replacing Dame Lillard, which is probably going to be replaced with Giannis. Giannis is probably going to be a big part of their point guard. So, I’m sure Giannis is excited. I’m not sure it changes their championship aspirations. Having said that, L, I honestly believe that Giannis is looking for reasons to stay in Milwaukee, and this was a big one that he has today that he didn’t have yesterday. So, you say maybe it’s not a needle mover for the Bucks. I wonder if it’s a needle mover in the wrong direction for the Pacers because Miles Turner, longest tenur Pacer and they’re a game away from winning their first championship and now he’s gone. How is that loss going to impact the team?
Yeah, this is a core player for them. I mean, you know, they have two other stars in Pascal Seakum and Tyresese Hallebertton that are really the guys that, you know, carry them, but Miles Turner is sort of their rock, especially defensively on the interior. He did not play his best basketball in the in the finals. That is true. But his his contributions were huge for them in the second half of the season and getting them through the playoffs. Frankly, he was dominant in the series against the Bucks. That may have helped get the Bucks extra interested in him. Here’s the story. The Pacers are a team that doesn’t pay the luxury tax. They have not paid the luxury tax in 20 years. They are not a team with deep pockets. They have certain limits to their resources. They were willing to go into the tax a little bit here with Miles Turner, but the offer from Milwaukee was more than they were willing to pay and they had to lose this him for nothing. It is a huge blow to them. They are not easily going to be able to replace him.
Feeling like pay not commensurate with production has cost many a relationship. But Turner one of just three players with 700 three-pointers and 1400 blocks in NBA history. Your others Brook Lopez, Rasheed Wallace, Brian Winhorse, thanks for joining us here with some NBA news. This week, I’ll Doug back with you on Sports Center. To the NBA and free agency day two, Nuggets have gotten a lot done. They traded Michael Porter for Cam Johnson, then sent Dario Sarge to the Kings for Center Yonas Valenunis, and then they added guard Tim Hardaway Jr. on a one-year free agent deal. And finally, they brought back Bruce Brown. Denver’s bench getting deep. If you add Valenunis, it’s the latest move in what’s been a really busy at least start to the offseason for the Nugs. Denver also traded, as I mentioned, Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn in exchange for forward Cam Johnson, who by the way averaged career highs in points and assists last season. The champ is here, our three-time NBA champing the show. UD, what do you think about all these moves that the Nuggets have done so far in free agency?
I mean, I love it. I mean, this is a team who we’ve criticized in the last couple years for just being a little bit stale, kind of running it back. Obviously, this is a team where we understood they were going through some changes with their coaches. So, first and foremost, I love Adam as a coach. I love his leadership. I love the fact that you bring in a guy like Valenunis because listen, the Joker averaged 40 minutes per game in the playoffs last year. He led you in rebound, he led you in scoring, he led you in assists, he led you in every single thing. This man needs a break. So like the hot boys say, somebody help him out. So I love the fact that Joker has some help. Cam Johnson I think is an upgrade and this is no knock on what they lost, but I love him as a basketball player. He can score the ball. He can defend on the other end. So I love that and he can make plays. Bruce Brown is a guy who averaged 11 points a game in the finals against us. I hated him then, but I love him now. Going to Denver right now. And he’s also a Miami Hurricane guy. So, I am happy for Bruce Brown.
There you go. You give him a little Miami love. You know, you love the move. You know who’s who loves the move? The sports books love the move. If you look at ESPN right now and check out the latest Western Conference odds. So, this time yesterday, Denver was 10 to one to take the West and now they’re 5 to1. That’s the second shortest odds to take the conference behind only the reigning champion OKC Thunder. How impressive, by the way, is what the Rockets doing so far. Houston with 8 to1 odds to win next season’s title. Second best behind only OKC. What do you think about their moves?
Extremely impressive, man. I love Emoka as a coach, as a leader. He’s a fiery guy. He doesn’t back down. And now he’s brought in a superstar scorer. A guy who we saw them in the finals or excuse me, in the playoffs last year, they struggled to score. This is a guy who’s 27 points per game, 50 from the field, 40 from the three, 90 from the free throw line. So, this is a guy who gets it done. and you bring in Finny Smith. He’s a guy who guards on defense, shoots 41% from three, so you got a three and D guy. You keep your young corn, Jabari Smith, who’s the future of this franchise. You opt out Fred Van Fleet, but you bring him back on a longer deal, so you got your leadership. And then you got your young allstar in Sangon. So you really lost nothing in this KD trade. You brought back your core. So I’m looking at this team who was hovering around second in the West last year to make that improvement. And you also brought back Steven Adams, who was huge for you in the playoffs last year, and Clint Capella. You got three bigs now to go against Joker.
Yeah. Listen, I’ve had to spend a lot of time around Chane Wum the last few days as you know, noted Houston native,
and there’s just been lots of screams of we up, we back, it’s it, it’s lit, it’s us. So, I think they’re feeling very good. She ain’t lying. Yonas, Yodon Hamlin joining us here to break down some of these NBA [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst joins SportsCenter to give his reaction to the Milwaukee Bucks waiving Damian Lillard and acquiring Myles Turner.

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