Fans have been waiting for this trade for quite some time and now it finally happens but not in the exact scenario people pictured. Seven-time all-star and former Rookie of the Year winner, Damian Lillard, heads to the Midwest to join Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
In the three-team deal, the Bucks acquired Lillard while his previous team, the Portland Trailblazers, acquired Jrue Holiday, DeAndre Ayton, Toumani Camara, a 2029 first-round pick from Milwaukee and the right to swap picks with the Bucks in 2028 and 2030. The third team in this deal, the Phoenix Suns, acquired Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson and Grayson Allen.
Four days later, Jrue Holiday was flipped by the Trailblazers to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams and two first-round picks. Holiday was an integral part of Milwaukee’s recent success with his elite court awareness and lockdown defense, and will be a key piece in the Celtics push to for an NBA title.
For about four months trade rumors have been surrounding Lillard and Portland, but nobody expected him to land in Milwaukee. The Bucks are already a stacked team with one of if not the best players in the league Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. Before this trade, the Bucks had made the playoffs seven years in a row, including winning it all in 2021.
Lillard brought major success to the city of Portland leading them to the playoffs eight times, once bringing them to the Western Conference Finals. Lillard is an explosive player who is versatile when the ball is in his hands. He can shoot from a distance, finish with contact and has quick, shifty handles that make him elite. This blockbuster deal creates a new unstoppable duo in the NBA with Giannis and Lillard on the same team. The Bucks now look to win their third title in franchise history with the addition of Lillard.
Photo Credit: “Damian Lillard and Collin Sexton” by Erik Drost is licensed under (CC BY 4.0 Deed)
