“Left a sour taste in my mouth” – Damian Lillard fires FINAL SHOT at Blazers, calls out franchise for not trading him to Heat
Damian Lillard was recently traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
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Damian Lillard (via NBA.com)
The Damian Lillard trade saga is finally over. After months of speculation and rumors, Lillard has finally been traded. In a surprising move, the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Dame and sent away their star point guard, Jrue Holiday, in exchange. The trade request was made all the way back on July 1st, and Dame specifically requested to be traded to the Miami Heat. He expected his request to be fulfilled, given the fact that he gave everything he could to the franchise in the 10 years he spent there.
The Portland Trail Blazers stopped trade talks with the Heat after Pat Riley declined to shell out more assets in exchange for a superstar like Dame. So, the rumors of the Blazers looking to trade Lillard anywhere except Miami became prevalent. The drama also became apparent when Lillard’s agent reportedly told teams other than Miami that they would be trading for a disgruntled star if they traded for him. This move significantly affected the trade value for Dame.
Dame recently talked to Bleacher Report regarding how his offseason was filled with twists and turns and commented on the relationship between him and the Blazers’ front office. GM Joe Cronin made it clear in the media that his priority was to help the team and not cater to Dame. The drama behind the scenes really affected Dame as he said, “How this summer played out behind the scenes definitely left a sour taste in my mouth.”
Why did Damian Lillard get traded to Milwaukee instead of Miami?
Portland’s GM Joe Cronin had made it clear several times that the goal of the front office was to find the best trade that brings more assets into the team and not just cater to their former franchise player. The offer made by the Miami Heat was horrible in comparison to what they got in the three-team deal with Milwaukee and Phoenix. Miami, who thought they were in a position of high leverage, tried to lowball the Blazers but ultimately failed.
The Heat offered a package of Tyler Herro and two first-round picks to the Blazers in exchange for Dame. While Tyler Herro could have been flipped for more first-round picks, the deal didn’t provide any good young players. In addition, with Miami always being in contention, the first-round picks will end up being late first-rounders, making them less valuable.
On the contrary, the deal with Milwaukee and Phoenix got them DeAndre Ayton, Jrue Holiday (who can be flipped for more and isn’t a fit issue), a first-round pick, and multiple swaps. This deal offers them a good young player, a tradeable asset, and a first-round pick, which could be a top-10 pick if Giannis isn’t on the Bucks in 2029, and valuable swaps. What remains to be seen is Dame’s immediate impact on joining the Bucks.
In Case You Missed:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard’s three-year long FLIRTING ends in blockbuster trade that sees them team-up
- Damian Lillard to Bucks trade details: Full breakdown of BLOCKBUSTER move including Suns’ role
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Gerard Crispin
(3318 Articles Published)