How Much Money Are Bucks Eating in Shocking Damian Lillard Release?

The Bucks made a decision that will affect the next five years of their cap sheet.

Apr 25, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) drives against Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) in the first half during game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks made the shocking decision to sign Myles Turner to a four-year deal worth $107 million. In order to make that work, they had to waive and stretch Damian Lillard.

Lillard was traded to the Bucks before the start of last season as the Bucks tried to make Giannis Antetokounmpo happy. Most of the moves that they have made in the last few years were to try to keep him happy.

While this move makes them better for next year, it's hard to say if it makes them better in the long term. The Bucks are eating a lot of money over the course of the next five years.

Read more: Damian Lillard Breaks Silence on Bucks Exit With Cryptic Post About Giannis Antetokounmpo

Just how much money are the Bucks eating? It's quite a lot. In fact, it's the largest use of the waive-and-stretch provision in NBA history by quite a large margin.

The Bucks still owe Lillard $113 million. That means they will have over $22.5 million in dead cap money over the next five years.

For the next five years, the Milwaukee Bucks will have $22,516,603 in dead money each season on their books from the Damian Lillard waive-and-stretch.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 1, 2025

It's an absurd amount of money to eat in order to make the team marginally better in the near term. Turner is a good player, but he's not worth $50 million. That's essentially what they are paying for him.

Adding the contract that the Bucks signed him to, along with the dead cap money, they are going to be paying $50+ million for each of the next years to have Turner on the roster.

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The Bucks are now under a lot of pressure to contend for a title in the next couple of years. They have to be able to get past the first round of the playoffs in a weakened East next year.

Indiana has eliminated the Bucks in each of the last two years. The Pacers are still likely going to make the playoffs, but they won't be the title contender that they were this year.

Boston won't be a championship contender without Jayson Tatum. The Knicks have a new coach. There is a lot of open space for the Bucks to slide into in the East.

This past season for the Bucks, Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game.

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