Damian Lillard Reacts after Learning Giannis Antetokoumpo Knew about Shocking Move

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard's partnership did not work out as expected for the Bucks leaving them no choice regarding the latter.

Damian Lillard Reacts after Learning Giannis Antetokoumpo Knew about Shocking Move

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard (Image by FirstSportz)

Before the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks were tipped to be one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference. However, things went downhill for the Bucks, who suffered one of the worst seasons of their franchise. Despite winning the 2025 NBA Cup, the Bucks underperformed in the league this past season.

This led to continuous doubts over the futures of their 2 main stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. To make matters worse, Lillard suffered a torn Achilles injury that saw the Bucks lose to the Indiana Pacers in the 1st round of the NBA playoffs. This has led to the Bucks waiving Lillard to free up cap space for their most recent big man signing, Myles Turner.

According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Antetokounmpo was allegedly thrilled about the decision to dismiss Lillard and was aware of it beforehand. This led to Lillard himself responding to the report on Twitter/X with a reserved GIF.

The Bucks are among the busiest teams since NBA Free Agency began. It is still astounding that they would waive a superstar like Lillard to get a highly desired center from a bitter rival. This new story is made even more intense by the additional drama surrounding Antetokounmpo’s knowledge, or lack thereof, of the Lillard ruling.

Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard (Credits: MARCA)

During his two seasons with the Bucks, Lillard produced 24.6 points, seven assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. He was named to the Milwaukee All-Star team both seasons. He will now concentrate on healing from his Achilles and locating a new team. For the Bucks, it will be an interesting offseason as they look to shape their roster around the Greek Freak ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.

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ESPN analyst had an interesting take regarding Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo

With Damian Lillard’s recent X post regarding Antetokounmpo knowing about his waiver, things are expected to get heated between the two. Especially in the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season, when the former joins a new NBA side. Now, senior NBA writer David Dennis Jr. added a different viewpoint of his own on this matter, leaving many surprised.

This is a league-changing thing that’s hovering over everybody right now. This is Thanos coming. This is winter is coming. Because Dame Lillard is going to add his talents to a contender. He’s not going to go out there and rebuild…  He’s going to look and see who’s best positioned to win a championship…

David Dennis Jr. said on First Take

Dennis Jr. asserted that Lillard is more likely than Antetokounmpo to win a title. Although Dennis Jr. was a fervent supporter of Lillard, fans did not entirely share his viewpoint. Given his health conditions, it will be tougher than ever for Lillard to spring a surprise and contend for the NBA title. With time, the fans will get a clear picture of Dame’s future in the NBA.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ‘just the beginning’ verdict did not go down well

The Bucks have had a tumultuous 2024-25 NBA season, but they were given a ray of hope when they clinched the 2025 NBA Cup 6 months ago. After the win, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo made a bold verdict regarding the remainder of the season. Not only that, he also shared his views on his partnership with Lillard after winning the cup.

I’m so happy for Dame. We got our first trophy together and this is just the beginning. We’ve got to keep improving, keep getting better. We’ll be better.

Giannis Antetokounmpo said

The Bucks had a different strategy, but Giannis appeared locked in and eager to enjoy additional success with Lillard. After all, the brilliant pairing of Giannis and Lillard has since parted ways with the Bucks just over six months later. Except for winning the NBA Cup, it’s easy to say that the Bucks’ Antetokounmpo-Lillard experiment was a failure because the two had no success in the postseason.

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