Part I of the series zoomed in on the possibility of Myles Turner returning as Milwaukee’s starting centre. This is certainly an option for Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins to mull over. But it comes with a cost. And when that cost is stunting the development of the player with arguably the most potential on the team—who you just received in exchange for your franchise’s GOAT—you better think twice. Instead, the Bucks might be best served bringing Turner off the bench.
Bench: The mentor
For all intents and purposes, Kel’el Ware is the centre of the Bucks’ universe (at least positionally) and for him to reach his ceiling he needs two things: freedom to own the role and mentorship. Benching Turner unlocks both. As a starter with consistent minutes, Ware can grow beyond the restraints that have capped him so far and reach the otherworldly heights his potential (and name) promises. But that’s not going to happen without the right voice in his ear—and that can’t come solely from coaches (there’s a reason I profiled possible veteran targets prior to the start of free agency).
Enter Turner. As one of the few veterans on this squad—he’s one of just three 30-year-olds—Turner’s value might be at its highest for this version of the Bucks in a leadership role, guiding Milwaukee’s young bigs the way only veterans who have been there and done that know how. That he’s a rim-protecting, floor-spacing big with similar measurables to Ware only makes this role all the more fitting.
While accepting a reduced role might be a tough pill to swallow, Turner knows a thing or two about the importance of mentorship—and working as a team, in the purest sense of the word. In his 2025 Players’ Tribune post, “It Took Me 10 Years to Write This,” Turner wrote effusively about nearly all of his Pacers teammates and the little things they did that contributed to winning. Veteran James Johnson was one of them:
[He] doesn’t really play but he stays impactful, with his veteran leadership and taking the young dudes under his wing. Like, what makes our team effective … it goes beyond elite stars, or elite depth, or even elite work ethic. We have elite role clarity. We have a team that’s a TEAM, and a group that’s a GROUP.
Turner clearly isn’t at the point Johnson was with that Pacers team, but if he truly believes those words he knows a move to the bench is the right one to make.
Mentorship aside, bringing Turner off the bench might just be the best way to maximise his all-around on-floor impact. Turner is at his best when paired with a playmaking guard who sets the table for him. This isn’t just conjecture, either, with Turner also highlighting Tyrese Halliburton’s transformative value to him in his Players’ Tribune post:
I felt like for the first time in my NBA career, I had both 1. a head coach who’s believing in me, and 2. a point guard who’s facilitating for me. And it’s like I was unleashed.
Right away, I went from 13 ppg to 18 ppg. 33% on threes to 37%. 51% from the field to 55%. And it wasn’t just the numbers — it was so much deeper than that. Like, I don’t know if this will make sense, but it’s the first time where I felt like I had “basketball free will.” I wasn’t just getting told what NOT to do. With Coach and Tyrese, things flowed toward what’s possible. They started to let me engage mentally, not just physically. And when I’m doing that … I feel like I’m who I want to be as a basketball player.
It was this connection that enabled Turner to convert at least 75% of his shots between 0-3 feet in the four seasons prior to coming to Milwaukee (per Basketball-Reference). With the Bucks—and without an elite playmaker—that dropped down to just 67%. It’s not surprising then that Turner’s overall scoring volume and efficiency nosedived without a true facilitator in Milwaukee; the percentage of two-point field goals he was assisted on reduced from 85% in his final season with the Pacers to 74% with the Bucks. For reference, Ware was at 68% last year—and he’s no shot creator. With these things in mind, Turner seems ideally suited to line up alongside up-and-coming dime-dropper Kasparas Jakučionis, who also figures to be utilised off the bench.
But, unlike Turner, Ware does score off the offensive glass, ranking tenth in the league in total points scored off putbacks (144), just short of Bucks killer Moussa Diabaté (150). Meanwhile, Turner had just 48—fewer than rookie wings VJ Edgecombe and Kon Knueppel. Considering Jenkins’ teams have historically prioritised second-chance points, this is yet another reason Ware should start.
In all, a move to the bench doesn’t mean Turner won’t be a significant part of the rotation. After all, the Bucks are still relatively thin up front, with only Turner, Ware, and Jericho Sims as true bigs. It wouldn’t be surprising to see iterations of this squad with two of those three sharing the court, either. But for the Bucks to truly start their climb back up the Eastern Conference standings, they need Turner to lead—and that might mean sitting down.
Bucks fans, what do you think about sending Myles Turner to the bench? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned for Part III: Cut, coming tomorrow.
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