After months of offseason speculation, the Portland Trail Blazers reached an agreement to trade Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a three-team deal. This is huge news for the basketball world as Lillard now gets to play alongside the two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In return, Portland received Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Milwaukee’s 2029 first round pick, and the right to swap draft picks with the Bucks in 2028 and 2030. As the third team in the deal, the Suns received Josef Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson.
This deal shocked NBA fans for many reasons. The main reason was because in Lillard’s initial trade request in July, he made it clear through his agent that the only team he wanted to be traded to was the Miami Heat. While the Heat made an initial offer to the Trail Blazers, the Trail Blazers declined it and looked for other offers. While the Heat believed they would be the only offer due to Lillard’s request, this ended up not being the case.
Lillard is regarded by some as the greatest player to ever play for the Trail Blazers. In his 11 years with the team, he has achieved seven All-Star appearances and All-NBA teams. He helped the Trail Blazers make the playoffs eight times and got them to the Western Conference Finals in 2019. He ranks first in the team’s history in points and three-pointers.
Last season, Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. He shot 46 percent from the field and 37 percent from three. However, his contributions were not enough as the Trail Blazers missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
Despite what some may have thought Lillard’s reaction would have been, Lillard stated in a post on X how excited he is to be a member of the Bucks. One day later, Lillard posted a lengthy farewell message that expressed his gratitude towards both the Trail Blazers and the city of Portland.
With this trade, the Bucks are now seen as the favorites to win the NBA Championship. With a trio that consists of Lillard, Antetokounmpo, and veteran forward Khris Middleton, the Bucks will be a difficult team to stop. This was a much needed trade for them as they are coming off of a surprising first round exit where they ended up being eliminated by the No. 8 seeded Miami Heat in five games.
