The debate around shortening the NBA’s 82-game regular season is heating up again, but Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner wants no part of it.
While coaches, former players, and even Commissioner Adam Silver have all entertained the idea, Turner made it clear that reducing the schedule isn’t just a basketball decision but a financial one as well.
Myles Turner Says Cutting Games Means Cutting Checks
When asked to share his thoughts on shortening the NBA season, Turner didn’t dodge the question; instead, he shut it down.
Speaking bluntly on the Ball in the Family podcast, the veteran big man said players aren’t giving up the structure that keeps their paychecks and league revenues flowing.
“In all honesty, no,” he said. “You got to think, bro — we get game checks. You got to realize this is a business at the end of the day.”
He admitted that five years ago, he might have felt differently, but pointed directly to the revenue tied to every scheduled matchup.
“If you asked me same question 5 years ago I would’ve said hell yeah, we need rest. Nah bro, we are trying to get our bread at the end of the day…so all the TV money, all the marketing rights, that goes into this games are very important, that’s why like just even adding a 83rd game with in season tournament, it’s huge, it’s huge for us. You get corporate sponsorship and all that type of stuff.”
To Turner, the financial ecosystem around the NBA makes the idea of trimming games unrealistic.
“People are profiting off us now,” he said. “We’re our own entities… You can’t shorten the season based on how our checks are lined up, how our salaries are lined up, and how these teams have everything lined up with their partnerships.”
League Voices Split As Shortened Season Conversation Grows
Turner’s stance lands on one side of an increasingly divided conversation. Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently argued that the league’s pace and physical toll are contributing to rising injuries, suggesting a 72–75 game slate could help keep players healthier.
Carmelo Anthony echoed that back in May, calling for a 65–68 game season to preserve longevity and improve the quality of play.
On the opposite side, Shaquille O’Neal has blasted the idea, saying players should stop complaining and protect the integrity of the league by keeping the full schedule intact.
Commissioner Adam Silver has kept the league’s position more open-ended, saying nothing is off the table back in April 2025. But he also noted that no data has shown that fewer games reduce injuries.
That said, the NBA has explored adjustments on previous occasions. In 2019, the league floated a proposal for a 78-game season paired with an in-season tournament, a play-in structure for the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference, playoff reseeding in the final four, and a $1 million-per-player tournament prize.
As for Turner, his focus remains on the present: stabilizing a Bucks team sitting 11th in the East at 9–13.
The veteran center is averaging 12.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and shooting 39.2% from deep, but his strongest statement this season might be his message to anyone suggesting he should play fewer games.
