It finally really happened before training camp began. I Portland Trail Blazers have surrendered Damian Lillard, but not to the Miami Heat, his preferred destination, nor to the Toronto Raptors, who seemed to be the favorite in recent days. Lillard will surprisingly play for the Milwaukee Bucks, part of a three-team trade with the Blazers themselves and the Phoenix Suns.
This is one of the biggest trades in recent years, involving even such top players as Jrue Holiday, Jusuf Nurkic and DeAndre Ayton.
- Milwaukee gets: Damian Lillard
- Portland gets: Jrue Holiday, DeAndre Ayton, Toumani Camara, a 2029 first-round pick from the Bucks and two pick swaps with the Bucks in 2028 and 2030
- Phoenix gets: Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson and Grayson Allen
Portland is already intent on divesting Holiday, who at 33 years old surely has little desire to stay with a team undergoing complete rebuilding.
The Blazers remain engaged elsewhere on deals and will are expected to immediately engage contending teams on trade talks to move on Jrue Holiday, sources tell ESPN. Portland is committed to its young group of talented guards. https://t.co/6IR7bcFVrr
– Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 27, 2023
With this trade Milwaukee goes to compose one of the strongest pairs in the NBA landscape: Lillard with Giannis Antetokounmpo, both backed by Khris Middleton. After a disappointing run in the 2023 Playoffs, closed with a first-round knockout against Miami, the Bucks are aiming straight for next year’s title.
Milan, Italy. A graduate in Labor Management and Communication for Organizations from Catholic University, I founded BasketUniverso in 2011. Yes, I root for Orlando Magic and do my best not to hide it.
