On Wednesday, Damian Lillard traded to the Bucks from the Trail Blazers in a three-team deal that also included the Suns. In return for Lillard, the Blazers welcomed Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, a 2029 unprotected first-round pick from the Bucks, and the right to swap picks in 2028 and 2030.
The Suns are obtaining Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson.
As with all trades, it cannot be finalized until NBA attorneys check the terms and approve the deal.
The following trade comes months after rumors that Lillard would only play for the Heat.
In a social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Damian Lillard wrote, “The casuals won’t be addressed but the trailblazer’s fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be … and they will be addressed truthfully.”
Milwaukee may have felt pressure to create this deal in an try to calm Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA MVP who indicated he’s doubtful of his future with the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo has two more years and a player choice left on his recent contract and is qualified for a three-year extension worth $173 million.
The 28-year-old Greek superstar told in August that he will not be looking to sign a new contract this season — and highlighted the significance of sacrifice from the organization.
He followed that up this month by asking about the team’s commitment to competing for an NBA title while on the “48 Minutes” Bleav podcast.
Antetokounmpo said, “As long as we play and we approach the game every single day the right way and we all sacrifice for a common goal, I can see myself being with the Milwaukee Bucks for the rest of my career.”
“But the moment I feel like people are not committed as I am to get that golden thing in the back … I am a Milwaukee Buck, but most importantly, I am a winner. I want to win.”
“I have to do whatever it takes for me to win, and if there is a better situation for me to win the Larry O’Brien [championship trophy] I have to take that better situation.”
In 2021, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to an NBA title b
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to an NBA title in 2021, but Milwaukee lost to the Celtics in the East Finals the next year and were bounced from the playoffs last season with a first-round loss to the Heat.
Milwaukee released head coach Mike Budenholzer after the team’s early postseason departure and substituted him with Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin.
Lillard provides Griffin with an active scorer and playmaker who averaged a career-best 32.2 points per game the previous season and has averaged at least 24 points per game in each of the last eight seasons.
The seven-time All-Star career average of 25.2 points per game ranks 11th among all players in NBA history who have participated in at least 500 contests.
A 33-year-old in 11 NBA seasons, Lillard was a first-round pick by Portland in the 2012 draft, reaching No. 6 overall.
But after the Blazers used the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft on point guard Scoot Henderson, Lillard read the writing on the wall and requested for his ticket out of town.
Lillard will earn almost $46 million this forthcoming season and could earn as much as $216 million over the following four years if he exercises his choice for the 2026-27 season.
