Damian Lillard, the seven-time NBA All-Star was traded to the Bucks to join Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lillard was with the Portland Trail Blazers for 11 years.
He was on the trade block for a couple of months, and he had wished for a trade in an effort to capture an NBA championship.
According to NBC 26, this is a three-team trade that sends Jrue Holiday from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Portland Trail Blazers, Deandre Ayton from the Phoenix Suns to the Portland Trail Blazers, and Jusuf Nurkic from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Phoenix Suns. Damian Lillard is transferred from the Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The casuals won’t be addressed but the trailblazers fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be … and they will be addressed truthfully. Stay tuned
Excited for my next chapter! @Bucks 🎟️
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 27, 2023
Damian Lillard also shared his farewell message on Platform X formerly Twitter. He wrote, “The casuals won’t be addressed but the trailblazers fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be … and they will be addressed truthfully. Stay tuned,”
“Excited for my next chapter!”
Lillard had asked for the trade earlier, and his preferred destination was the Miami Heat. However, due to a fortunate turn of events, he will be joining the Milwaukee Bucks and their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jon Horst, the general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks regarding the fruitful trade said, “Damian Lillard is an elite player in our league and someone we’ve long been fans of,”
“These opportunities are rare and hard to measure and execute.”
Being able to add Lillard to the Bucks’ roster should increase their chances of winning the NBA championship; therefore, it will be a significant and perhaps extremely profitable acquisition.
Damian Lillard’s average was 32.2 points per game this past season. He also achieved a minimum of 24 points in each of the previous eight seasons.
According to @EliasSports:
Lillard and Giannis will become the 2nd teammates in NBA history to play together after each tallying 30 PPG in the prior season.
The other duo was Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, who each averaged 30 on the 1961-62 Lakers and ran it back in 1962-63. pic.twitter.com/aggwH7euMw
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 27, 2023
According to ESPN Stats and Info and Elias Sports, “Lillard and Giannis will become the 2nd teammates in NBA history to play together after each tallying 30 PPG in the prior season.
The other duo was Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, who each averaged 30 on the 1961-62 Lakers and ran it back in 1962-63.”
Damian Lillard became the seventh player in the NBA to collect more than 70 points in a game when he finished with 71 points in the game, which was played against the Houston Rockets. This indelible mark placed Lillard’s name in the annals of the league for all time.
On the other hand, Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently one of the best talents in the NBA.
In 2019 and 2020, Antetokounmpo earned back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player Awards.
The Bucks’ first NBA title came with Antetokounmpo, who was also awarded Finals MVP. In the same year, he was selected for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which honoured him as one of the best players in league history.
