In a stunning move, the Portland Trail Blazers traded Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
In a three-team deal involving Portland, Minnesota, and Phoenix, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers is going to the Timberwolves while Deandre Ayton is going to the Blazers.
In a three-team deal involving the Phoenix Suns, the Portland Trail Blazers traded guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
According to sources cited by Wojnarowski, Portland acquired Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Milwaukee’s unprotected first-round draft pick in 2029, as well as unprotected Milwaukee swap rights in 2028 and 2030.
Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson were acquired by the Suns via trade, according to a Wojnarowski report.
Lillard’s desire to play for the Miami Heat was clear when he requested a trade in July.
When Lillard expressed interest in playing for Miami, his agent, Aaron Goodwin, let Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald know.
The NBA had to issue a memo to all 30 teams warning that any upcoming claims made by Goodwin or Lillard that Lillard wouldn’t uphold his player contract obligations in the event of a trade would result in sanctions.
The Bucks made the trade in place of Lillard’s request, so the Heat were unable to sign him.
Lillard, who is 33 years old, just finished one of his best NBA seasons, averaging 32 points per game and a true shooting percentage of 64 points per cent.
He is only rivaled by Golden State Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry as a pick-and-roll point guard and one of the league’s most lethal pull-up shooters.
In order to increase their chances of advancing further in the playoffs, the Bucks, who were defeated by the Miami Heat in the first round last season, are pleased to welcome Lillard to the group. Giannis Antetokounmpo returned for the final two defeats despite getting hurt in the first game of the series.
The Bucks are eager to try and win another championship with Antetokounmpo as they have made it clear that he may eventually ask for a trade from the team.
Rebuilding is the Trail Blazers’ current top priority. Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe make up their young backcourt, and they’ve added some intriguing young forwards and draft picks to round out their roster of players.
Lillard is arguably the greatest player in franchise history, so it’s a tough day for Portland, but they got a lot of value for a player his age with such a lucrative long-term deal.
Four years and $216 million remain on Lillard’s contract.
