The Bucks Receive Damian Lilard in Crucial Trade

Seven Time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard requested a trade in early July, and finally, the Portland Trail Blazers are trading him to the Milwaukee Bucks. While it may have taken almost three months for the Blazers, who did not abide by Lilard’s original request to be traded to Miami, they certainly fulfilled Lillard’s wish of putting him in a position to win and become a world champion.

Another key driving factor of the trade is the 7-foot Greek freak, who has dominated the NBA since he was drafted in 2013. While Giannis Antetokounmpo’s fingers itch for another ring, he is conflicted about his loyalty to the Bucks, but feels like the team was not dedicated enough to winning another championship. In a recent interview with the New York Times, he said, “I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.” He forced the Bucks to create a championship-caliber team. Giannis’ worries were put to rest when the Portland Trail Blazers traded Damian Lillard to the Bucks. Giannis accomplished both goals and avoided a tough decision.

The fine details of this three-way trade are that the Bucks receive Damian Lillard, while the Trail Blazers receive Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Bucks’ 2029 first-round pick (unprotected). The Blazers swap rights on the Bucks’ 2028 and 2030 picks, and the Suns receive Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson.

In this blockbuster deal, the Bucks created a super team only a few years after a championship. This deal creates the best starting five on paper, with Damian Lillard at point guard; while the shooting guard is unknown, it will most likely be Pat Connaughton, a season veteran who has played with Lillard in the past. Then, at small forward, is Chris Middleton, a three-time NBA All-Star. Next, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a power forward. Lastly, the center is Brook Lopez, a one-time NBA All-Star. This All-Star stacked team has become the favorites to win; without Lillard, they already finished first place in the East conference. The only major downside to this deal is that most of their players are old and only have a few years left on their contracts. After a few dominant years, their prospects look bleak by the turn of the decade because they don’t control any of their first-round picks for a seven-year window. Overall, the Bucks won this trade. They got a B+ from ESPN because it is a fair trade, and they gained a crucial piece at a reasonable price to make them favored to win the championship.

Portland will now focus on rebuilding their team around No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson with young veteran Deandre Ayton, rookie Toumani Camara, and their newly acquired draft capital; however, it is expected that All-star Jrue Holiday will be traded away to create a younger team. Portland has many young, promising prospects to make a long, fruitful dynasty. Portland also got a B+ from ESPN because this trade puts them in place with many strong years of rebuilding ahead with a talented young team with draft capital, and they traded off Lillard before his value dramatically depreciated.

The Suns will also try to win a championship; early this summer, they added Bradley Beal to their star-studded core of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Then traded away center Deandre Ayton to add more depth to their roster, like Nurkic, who will serve as a replacement for Ayton, but they also got promising young star Little, who, if he emerges as a starter, will be a massive bargain. In the deal, they also received Allen, a skillful shooter, and a replacement for a player the Suns lost while trading for Beal. Another player the Suns received is Johnson, who will most likely be traded, but if no teams are interested, the Suns will cut him to clear up cap space. Overall, the Suns are losers of this trade, with ESPN giving them a B- because they already added depth with free agency signing, making this trade seem superfluous.

This major trade made all teams happy in achieving their ultimate objectives, including ring chasing, rebuilding, and adding depth to the roster. While right now, some teams may seem like they got the better deal, only time will tell who got the short end of the stick and who walks away with a championship.

Timmy Hale