DAMIAN Lillard got his wish of being traded out of the Portland Trail Blazers after being shipped to the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster trade less than a month before the start of the 2023-2024 NBA Season.
In acquiring the services of Lillard, the Bucks send veteran guard Jrue Holiday, three-point Grayson Allen, 2029 first-round draft pick and pick swap to the Blazers.
The Blazers then shipped Allen, Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson to the Phoenix Suns for former top-overall pick Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara.
âExcited for my next chapter! @Bucks,â Lillard wrote on his X account. âThe casuals wonât be addressed but the (T)railblazers fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be ⌠and they will be addressed truthfully. Stay tuned.â
Earlier in the offseason, Lillard have informed the Blazers of his desire to be traded elsewhere with Portland not having a roster that can contend for the NBA championship.
Lillard has previously listed Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat as his preferred destinations but both teams failed to offer the package the Blazers desired.
Several teams, including Toronto Raptors, also tried to engage the Blazers for a Lillard trade but nothing has been agreed upon until the Bucks entered the negotiating table.
At the Milwaukee camp, Lillard will be forming a powerhouse squad along with former NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis Jr.
The Blazers, on the other hand, got a formidable and young center in Ayton to join force with rookie Scoot Henderson, but they are looking to trade Holiday for a young player.
The Suns, for their part, has added a couple of defensive players in Nurkic and Allen to team up with their star trio Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal./PN
