Miles Turner talks about joining the Bucks: "At the end of the day, it s about staying competitive"

Miles Turner's signing with the Bucks was the biggest surprise in the NBA offseason. Turner is believed to be bound to renew his contract in Indiana (especially after they made it to the Finals), and Milwaukee doesn’t have enough cap space to chase him. Then the Pacers’ management was hesitant to pay the luxury tax and the offer to Turner was also low, while the Bucks showed such a positive attitude for the first time in history, trading and diluting Damian Lillard to create cap space to bring in the players they wanted.

For Turner, the reason for signing the Bucks is not just money, but more for competitiveness.

"At the end of the day, it's just staying competitive," Miles Turner said at an introduction meeting in Las Vegas on Friday. "Two years ago, [the Indiana Pacers] reached the Eastern Conference Finals. It's clear that we reached the NBA Finals last year. But being there, being part of it, winning basketball completely changed my view of the league, and I saw the opportunity to stay here and stay competitive. Jon [Horst] and even Rivers] assured me that winning games is the top priority here and our goal is consistent."

Turner wants to get paid comparable to other quality centers in the NBA - in his contract, Isaiah Hartenstein averages $29 million a year, Jaret Allen's $30.2 million a year, and Nico Clarkston's $24.3 million a year. The Bucks offered a four-year contract worth $107 million.

In the last season, he averaged 15.6 points per game, shot 39.6%, and also contributed an average of 6.5 rebounds and 2 blocks per game.

For Milwaukee, Turner is better than Brooke Lopez at this stage of his career. For Turner, being able to fight alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo instead of competing with him was one of the reasons that attracted him.

"I'm tired of always pushing my damn shoulders and elbows to my chest," Turner said with a smile. "It's a luxury to be able to play alongside him. He's a player who has been through generations and perhaps one of the greatest players he has played the game. I'm sure we'll talk here in the next few weeks. I've been playing Antetokounmpo for a long time. I'm very familiar with his style and ability to play. I do see him fit seamlessly into the team. He's able to push goals, fight back quickly, and create opportunities for others. He develops his own jump shot. Defensively, his intangible assets are there. I think our fit will be very coordinated."

It's not just Antetokounmpo, but Turner sees hope for a more intense competition in the East next season.

"I just look at this list, I have been competing with these guys. I have a lot of respect for how they do business from afar. Everyone has a reason there. Gary Trent just signed. Bobby Portis just signed. Taoren Prince just signed. Ryan Rollins just signed. Everyone saw this vision. They were not signing for the sake of signing. I just think the organization really has faith. I have been aligned with it."

The only thing that could end the Bucks' playoff dream is Antetokounmpo making a deal request, although it seems increasingly unlikely to happen. Most importantly, Antetokounmpo said he "probably" stayed in Milwaukee. Bucks coach Dock Rivers sat next to Turner, who also poured cold water on the trade rumors.

"Giannis came to me the day after the season, and we're already talking about next season," Rivers said. "So, there's a lot more talk about Milwaukee outside than inside. Giannis love Milwaukee. We love Giannis, it's a good relationship... So, we communicate a lot. It's about next year, it's about winning the game."

Having Turner in Milwaukee helps win.