BREAKING: Superstar Damian Lillard Traded to the Milwaukee Bucks
Sports Editor Will Lyons gives a quick breakdown on the impact of the end of the Damian Lillard era in Portland.
The saga is over. All NBA Guard Damian Lillard has been traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. The desired trade to the Miami Heat never materialized but Dame has found a home where he can compete for a championship.
The Blazer front office remained committed to getting back what they felt was a solid return for Lillard instead of prioritizing his desire to join the Heat. Ultimately finding a balance between Portland’s future and Dame’s desire. Portland isn’t a booming free agency destination this move will serve the Blazers well in the future as stars see that Portland rewarded Dame’s commitment of 10 years with his ultimate wish, joining a contending team.
Full trade breakdown
Blazers Trade Impact
The full trade returns Portland an All-Star level player in Jrue Holiday, a gritty two way point guard that can score, facilitate offense and defend with the best of them. (Expect Portland to find a new home for Holiday as he doesn’t fit their current timeline and will take minutes away from promising young players like Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe.)
The other key to this deal is the acquisition of former Phoenix Suns Center DeAndre Ayton. The former top pick brings a blend of rebounding, rim protection and scoring in both the midrange and in the post. Ayton gets a chance to step out of the shadow of superstar Devin Booker pending he places with an increased focus and motor.
Rookie Toumani Camara might be viewed as a throw in by casual fans but he can offer some real impact long term as an athletic G/F that can rebound/defend at a high level with some offensive tools as well.
Bucks Trade Impact
The pairing of a player of Lillard’s magnitude with arguably the best player in the NBA in Giannis is something you could only expect to see in NBA 2k. Dame’s deep shooting range, ability to slash and playmake paired with the Greek Freak is something that you really cannot scheme around. It upgrades the threat from the perimeter as Lillard is a far better shooter than Jrue Holiday.
I also have to give praise to the Bucks front office on getting the deal done while keeping wing Khris Middleton. The Bucks have a legit 3 that keeps them in championship contention as the Celtics retooled in the off-season looking to stay at the top of the East.
With all that being said the Dame trade is really cool in theory but the Bucks are guaranteed to miss the defensive impact of Jrue Holiday. Dame Time has never included defense and I don’t expect it to start now.
2029 first round pick could end up being incredibly valuable as we have learned just how different the league can look in a few years. Is KD still playing? Is Book still in Phoenix? Is Beal? These questions will dictate just how valuable that 2029 pick ends up being.
Suns Trade Impact
Phoenix bolsters their roster by getting swapping out centers trading Jusuf Nurkic for DeAndre Ayton. They lose rim protection but gain lots of youth and athleticism in the additions of Nassir Little and Keon Johnson.
Grayson Allen adds scoring prowess and grittiness (downright dirty at times) with the competitive guard that has found his role as a scoring punch off the bench.
Ultimately this is significant if Nurkic can stay healthy as an addition by subtraction move with Ayton not wanting to accept his role behind All-Stars Booker, Durant and now Bradley Beal.
2023–24 Season Impact
The balance in both the Eastern and Western conferences are still shaped similar to the way they appeared prior to this trade but Milwaukee is certainly better. Phoenix should have improved chemistry which is key with the offensive firepower they already possess. Defensive questions still remain but I expect to see a defense by committee strategy employed rather than relying on the rim protection DeAndre Ayton was able to provide at times.
On paper the acquisition of Lillard should move Milwaukee up a few spots on the contender list but the defensive prowess of Jrue Holiday cannot be understated. Offensively Milwaukee should be interesting but I wonder what Lillard looks like sacrificing some of his shot attempts for more playmaking responsibilities on a team with two other All-Stars. The other concern will be Lillard and Middleton’s health.
