The Toronto Raptors are interested in acquiring Milwaukee Bucks big man Myles Turner in a trade this summer.

Toronto enters this coming season with Jakob Poeltl penciled in as the team’s starting center, though sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles will push him for the starting role.

However, after a down year by Poeltl, where he was often injured and ineffective when he did play, the Raptors are exploring upgrades at the 5, including potentially trading for Turner.

Raptors Interested in Myles Turner

According to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, the Raptors are interested in Turner, especially if the Bucks trade superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and opt to completely overhaul their roster.

“A couple of league sources have suggested that the Raptors could be interested in Bucks centre Myles Turner if the Bucks go into fire-sale mode after a potential Antetokounmpo trade,” Grange wrote.

Grange mentioned that one potential deal could see the Raptors ship Poeltl, shooter Gradey Dick, and draft capital to the Bucs in exchange for Turner.

The Raptors sorely lacked a reliable big man at various points during last season, as Poeltl appears to be on a major career decline. Murray-Boyles was great in his rookie season, but he is still young and would benefit by sharing time with a veteran center like Turner.

As well, Grange noted that the Raptors are still connected to Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, though the scribe believes Sabonis’ camp is the one driving those trade rumors.

“Similarly, league sources have connected the Raptors to Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis — similar rumours were prevalent at the trade deadline — but, in previous reporting, the sense was most of the discussion around that was being driven by Sabonis’s camp, working to get the 30-year-old three-time all-star out of the rebuilding situation with the Kings,” Grange wrote.

Myles Turner at a Glance

After spending the first 10 seasons of his career with the Indiana Pacers, Turner made a surprise move last offseason when he signed with the Bucks for four years and $108.8 million. The Bucks had to waive and stretch point guard Damian Lillard to make the cap room for Turner, but as they tried to win at any cost with Antetokounmpo still in the prime of his career, Bucks ownership bit the bullet on eating Lillard’s money to bring Turner into the fold.

With Milwaukee, Turner played in 71 games, averaging 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game in what was a down year for the veteran center, whose numbers all across the board were down from his career averages. The Bucks also missed the playoffs, and former head coach Doc Rivers departed the team at season’s end.

After a failed season in Milwaukee, the team is currently conducting an auction for Antetokounmpo, and Turner could potentially be next if the Bucks choose to retool their roster.

The 30-year-old Turner is set to make $26.5 million next year, followed by $27.8 million the season after that. He then holds a player option for another season at $29.1 million, which he will likely exercise given that he appears to be on the downside of his career.