Damian Lillard has been traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster three-team deal that sends shockwaves across the NBA simply days earlier than groups report back to coaching camp.
Lillard requested a commerce from the Portland Path Blazers on July 1, and hoped to land with the Miami Warmth. The Blazers and Warmth reportedly had little dialogue all through the method, which opened the door to different groups. Milwaukee swooped in with a giant package deal of property headlined by Jrue Vacation and a 2029 unprotected first spherical decide. Portland was in a position to pull the Phoenix Suns into the deal to land a younger middle in Deandre Ayton who’s beneath contract by 2025-2026.
Lillard goes to Milwaukee to pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo for arguably the NBA’s biggest 1-2 punch. The Blazers are getting Vacation, Ayton, Toumani Camara, a 2029 unprotected first spherical decide from the Bucks, and unprotected first spherical decide swap rights from Milwaukee in 2028 and 2030. The Suns land Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson within the deal.
Let’s grade this commerce from each facet.
Milwaukee Bucks grade: A
Lillard is perhaps the perfect pick-and-roll guard within the league at 33 years outdated. He types a dream pairing with Giannis Antetokounmpo that provides Milwaukee a dimension they’ve by no means had earlier than. The Bucks are mortgaging their future to attempt to maximize their title odds within the current. Antetokounmpo’s very public offseason threats this summer time have labored, and delivered him a famous person level guard.
The Bucks are nonetheless driving excessive from their 2021 championship, however they comprehend it isn’t sufficient to maintain Giannis glad eternally. Milwaukee was on the fallacious finish of a surprising upset within the first spherical of the playoffs final season, dropping to the No. 8 seed Miami Warmth. The Bucks fired head coach Mike Budenholzer in consequence, however failed to enhance the roster a lot within the offseason outdoors of signing veteran shooter Malik Beasley.
That is the kind of daring transfer Milwaukee wanted to make. Lillard is an unbelievable pull-up shooter, a dynamic downhill menace attacking the rim, and a succesful playmaker. The Bucks completed No. 12 in offensive effectivity and No. 4 in defensive effectivity final 12 months. These rankings might flip this 12 months, however enhancing their scoring punch is a greater wager for playoff basketball. New head coach Adrian Griffin immediately faces a ton of strain to determine the rotation and hold co-stars Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton wholesome late into the season.
Milwaukee might be now the favorites within the East. The Bucks are in full-on championship-or-bust mode with so many future picks and decide swaps out the door. Milwaukee’s dedication to Giannis deserves to be applauded. Now they need to win one other championship, in any other case, Antetokounmpo may nonetheless quickly be out the door and their future may very well be ruined.
Portland Path Blazers grade: B
The Path Blazers are in full-on rebuild mode after this commerce.
Lillard requested out after Portland chosen level guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 general decide within the 2023 NBA Draft in June. Henderson will pair with final 12 months’s lottery decide, taking pictures guard Shaedon Sharpe, to kind the muse of the following successful Blazers group. Whereas Portland didn’t land the large bundle of draft picks that outlined final summer time’s greatest trades for Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Dejounte Murray, these forms of presents weren’t on the desk for a 33-year-old guard nonetheless owed $216 million over the following 4 years.
Getting again Milwaukee’s 2029 unprotected first rounder is a particularly priceless asset for Portland. These unprotected decide swaps in 2028 and 2030 may very well be implausible, too. Portland has to hope Giannis finally leaves Milwaukee, and if that occurs, the Blazers may very well be arrange tremendous effectively for the longer term. They should be fortunate and affected person for that plan to repay.
The Blazers additionally did effectively getting off Jusuf Nurkic on this commerce. Nurkic was just one 12 months right into a four-year, $70 million deal that instantly felt like a giant overpay. Nurkic can’t keep wholesome and doesn’t play with as a lot power as somebody that huge ought to. Deandre Ayton offers the Blazers a brand new look as a younger middle oozing with expertise. Ayton was the No. 1 decide within the 2018 NBA Draft over Luka Doncic, however misplaced his place with the Suns after a promising run within the 2021 playoffs, when the group made the NBA Finals however misplaced to the Bucks. Ayton is a irritating participant in a variety of regards whereas proudly owning a giant wage cap quantity, however a surroundings change and training change may assist him quite a bit.
The Blazers will now attempt to flip Vacation in one other commerce, and they need to be capable of get no less than yet one more first spherical decide for him. Portland is taking part in the lengthy recreation, and it’s attainable we received’t see the perfect model of this group till the 2030s. Nonetheless, the Blazers have two foundational items within the backcourt and a brand new 7-foot middle beneath contract for the prime years of his profession. Portland selected to fade Milwaukee’s future over Miami’s, and that’s in all probability wager.
Phoenix Suns grade: D
The Suns are additionally all-in on a championship this season after buying and selling for Kevin Durant halfway by final season and including Bradley Beal over the summer time. Phoenix clearly didn’t suppose Ayton could be a focus of the offense with a lot firepower round him, and sought to enhance their depth rather than their beginning middle.
Phoenix had the proper thought, nevertheless it looks like they didn’t add the proper items on this commerce.
Nurkic faces comparable issues to Ayton on offense: he doesn’t play with as a lot power as he ought to. Defensively, Nurkic is a giant downgrade within the center, and he’s additionally a a lot better harm threat. Grayson Allen is a stable shooter on the wing, however Phoenix already had so many off-guards round his measurement. Nassir Little is a pleasant flier on a three-and-D wing, and Keon Johnson is an elite athlete who hasn’t been capable of finding his footing within the NBA but.
The Suns nonetheless have a significant downside at middle. They want a giant man who can hit the glass, defend the rim, and share the ball offensively as a passing hub. I’m skeptical Nurkic can nonetheless be that. Phoenix’s inclusion on this deal is odd to me, however we all know the Suns will at all times make one other transfer in the event that they don’t like their combine on the commerce deadline.
