Lakers reportedly still have interest in $109M center after Giannis Antetokounmpo trade

Apr 12, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on after the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

After some of the early moves the Los Angeles Lakers have made in free agency, recently inking Austin Reaves to a long-term deal, there's definitely a sense that the organization is continuing to try to win a championship. 

However, there's definitely a feeling that Los Angeles is still rather far away from competing for a championship in a loaded Western Conference. For that to happen, they need to improve offensively and defensively, especially at the center position. There aren't a ton of elite centers available, but there are some who could come in and make an impact in Los Angeles, with one being Myles Turner. 

According to the latest reports, prior links suggest that the Lakers could still have interest in Turner, despite a rather rough season with the Milwaukee Bucks a year ago.

“One league executive pointed out that the Lakers have long had an eye on Turner, who averaged 11.9 points last year and had career lows in shooting (44%) and rebounding (5.3 per game). But Milwaukee was a mess, and Turner could bounce back,” Sean Deveney of Heavy reported.

Turner in Los Angeles just makes too much sense, and it's something that we've heard for a few years now, especially when he was with the Indiana Pacers and he was put through trade rumors for a lot of his career there. 

Turner had a bad season, for his sake, in Milwaukee, though it was an absolute mess for all involved for the Bucks. I wouldn't be surprised to see him come to the Lakers and find success, especially next to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, even if LeBron James decides to go elsewhere.

More NBA news:

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• Knicks’ Jose Alvarado gets free agency update
• Celtics’ Jaylen Brown’s real feelings revealed on trade chatter
• Lakers get price tag on wing Los Angeles has constantly shown interest in
• Warriors get trade market update on star every team in the NBA wants