This year's free agency took an incredibly surprising turn when the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly agreed to a deal with Myles Turner and waived Damian Lillard through the stretch provision to make room for the former Indiana Pacers star. Funnily enough, Nicolas Batum's name popped up, as the amount Lillard is supposedly owed in the waive-and-stretch move has shattered the record Batum held when he was released by the Charlotte Hornets in 2020.
During the 2020 offseason, the former Hornets veteran was vilified for arguably having the worst contract in the NBA. The franchise decided to part ways with him, but he still had $27.1 million left in his contract. So, using the stretch provision, Charlotte was able to spread the money it owed Batum for three years. Of course, that meant the organization had to absorb a cap hit of roughly $9 million every year for the following three seasons.
So, it's easy to see why the French forward had become public enemy No. 1 in the Queen City. Not only did he fail to live up to his contract, but he also limited the team's financial flexibility for a few campaigns.
However, Lillard's case could help Hornets fans forget about their one-sided beef with Batum, as the Bucks will be shelling out around $22.5 million per year for five seasons to cover the $112.6 million remaining in Dame's deal.
Eastern Conference chaos could end up benefitting Hornets
It's safe to say that Milwaukee stole the show on day two of free agency. In addition to the shocking Turner-Lillard development, a report emerged that Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't happy with the team's decision to waive Lillard. So, a lot of ears, especially those of franchises that are interested in acquiring the two-time MVP, are currently monitoring the situation closely.
As for Charlotte, it probably isn't too hopeful of one day landing Antetokounmpo. However, the drama that might be brewing in Milwaukee would add to an Eastern Conference that has no clear pecking order in the standings in the 2025-26 season and beyond.
The Pacers losing Turner and potentially having to play an entire campaign without Tyrese Haliburton could prevent them from repeating as conference champions. The Boston Celtics will be without Jayson Tatum for a while and have just shipped out a couple of the core pieces that helped them win the 2024 championship. Some teams, such as the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, have improved their roster but could hit a wall in the postseason.
The Hornets aren't expected to compete for a spot in the playoffs soon, although a possibly weakened East as the years pass could open up the opportunity for them to start contending legitimately, finally, and for fans to move on from the Batum era completely.