Damian Lillard has lastly been traded, and it’s to a vacation spot nobody may have seen coming. The Portland Path Blazers have agreed to ship the famous person guard to the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster three-team commerce that instantly reshapes the NBA championship image, in accordance with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal additionally contains the Phoenix Suns.
The Bucks are getting Lillard. The Blazers are getting Jrue Vacation, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Milawukee’s 2029 unprotected first spherical decide, and unprotected first spherical swap rights with the Bucks in 2028 and 2030. The Suns land Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson within the deal.
Wojnarowski stories that the Blazers will look to commerce Jrue Vacation this season. Vacation is slated to change into a free agent after the upcoming 2023-2024 season:
The Blazers stay engaged elsewhere on offers and can are anticipated to instantly interact contending groups on commerce talks to maneuver on Jrue Vacation, sources inform ESPN. Portland is dedicated to its younger group of proficient guards. https://t.co/6IR7bcFVrr
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 27, 2023
Lillard requested a commerce to the Miami Warmth days after the Path Blazers chosen level guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 total decide within the 2023 NBA Draft. Lillard’s future in Portland had been the topic of hypothesis for the final a number of years, however he lastly determined he wanted a change of surroundings coming off consecutive seasons the place the crew missed the playoffs.
At 33 years outdated, Lillard is coming off arguably one of the best season of his profession, averaging 32.2 factors per recreation on astounding 64.5 p.c true capturing a 12 months in the past. He may be the NBA’s greatest pick-and-roll level guard, and its most harmful pull-up shooter this aspect of Stephen Curry.
Lillard is getting into a Bucks crew that’s coming off a devastating first spherical playoff defeat to the No. 8 seed Miami Warmth. Giannis Antetokounmpo was injured within the first recreation of the sequence, however returned for Milwaukee’s final two losses.
Antetokounmpo spent the offseason hinting that he might request a commerce from Milwaukee sooner or later. Now, the Bucks are all-in on making an attempt to get Antetokounmpo one other championship.
The Path Blazers are actually totally dedicated to a rebuild. Portland has a proficient younger backcourt in place with Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, and now provides a pair intriguing younger forwards and a few draft picks to their chest of belongings. This can be a powerful day for Portland as a result of Lillard is arguably one of the best participant in franchise historical past, however they recouped strong worth for a participant his age with such a profitable long-term contract. Lillard has 4 years, $216 million left on his contract.
Lillard and Antetokounmpo is a dream pairing. The Bucks retain Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez within the deal. This commerce can also be an enormous transfer for an additional title contender within the Suns. Phoenix strikes on from middle Deandre Ayton, the previous No. 1 total draft decide in 2018, to get extra depth and extra capturing. It is going to be fascinating to see how Nurkic works because the Suns’ new beginning middle.
The Bucks might have simply change into the championship favorites. We’ll replace this story because it develops.
