Sometimes you don’t have to wait for a rematch to get revenge.
That’s what’s happening in the case of the Milwaukee Bucks, who were embarrassed as a No. 1-seeded team in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the No. 8-seed Miami Heat. Once Damian Lillard let it be known he wanted to move on from the Portland Trail Blazers, the Heat were his preferred destination and favorite to acquire him.
But in a shocking turn, the Bucks are acquiring Lillard, usurping the desires of Pat Riley and company to land another star. The Bucks are adding Lillard in a three-team deal, with Jrue Holiday and Deandre Ayton going to Portland and Jusuf Nurkić and role players heading to the Phoenix Suns.
Full trade, per sources:
– Bucks: Damian Lillard
– Blazers: Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, 2029 first-round Bucks pick and Bucks pick swap
– Suns: Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson, Grayson Allen https://t.co/56I888abMs— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 27, 2023
This is a big upset in a week in which the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors were tossed around as places trying to land Lillard over Miami. What does this mean for everybody? Let’s throw down some grades.
Bucks acquire Damian Lillard
Remember back in 2020 when there was the threat of Giannis Antetokounmpo not signing the supermax deal and leaving Milwaukee for a place where he could win a title? The Bucks acquired Holiday right before the season started, Giannis signed the extension and they won the title that season.
This year, Antetokounmpo had some potentially concerning public comments about leaving Milwaukee if it doesn’t feel like everybody is committed to winning more titles. Not long after, the Bucks deal for Lillard to make their franchise guy happy.
The casuals won’t be addressed but the trailblazers fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be … and they will be addressed truthfully. Stay tuned
Excited for my next chapter! @Bucks 🎟️
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 27, 2023
The initial concern might be the Bucks lose some depth they didn’t have to spare. And that’s certainly a concern. But this isn’t a short-term solution for the Bucks. Lillard, 33, has at least three more seasons under contract and possibly a fourth via player option. The Bucks will have ample opportunity to add depth over the next year if they even end up needing it. Their young role players could develop quickly into reliable rotation guys.
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This move gives the Bucks a weapon they haven’t had next to Giannis and Khris Middleton. Holiday was amazing and integral to them winning a title, but we’ve often seen Milwaukee relying on his shot-making in clutch moments when Middleton and Antetokounmpo are swarmed by the defense. It’s produced mixed results. Lillard is one of the most clutch players of his generation and a threat to 40 feet. Opponents, especially in the playoffs, have to truly pick their poison. The Bucks defense suffers going from Holiday to Lillard, but their half-court offense should improve enough to still allow them to be elite.
What a tremendous pull by Milwaukee.
Grade: A
Jimmy Butler posted on his Instagram Stories following the news of Damian Lillard going to the Milwaukee Bucks 👀
“Yo NBA man, y’all need to look into the Bucks for tampering.”
🎥 jimmybutler on IG: pic.twitter.com/8v0E5qAMtf
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 27, 2023
Suns acquire Jusuf Nurkić, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson
The Suns haven’t been enamored with Ayton, and the feeling was mutual over the last couple of years. While going from Ayton to Nurkić is a talent downgrade, and Nurkić became a little critically maligned at the end of his Blazers run, he’s a quality starting big man who can give Phoenix plenty on both ends of the floor. He also can be a force on the boards in a way Ayton struggled to be consistent. Perhaps the most important part of this trade is turning Ayton’s money into potentially three quality role players for some much-needed depth.
The Suns had some good signings in the first couple of days of the summer. But as media member Amin Elhassan described, they made July 17 signings on July 2 — outside of Eric Gordon. As Phoenix has gone all-in with the Devin Booker/Kevin Durant/Bradley Beal trio, filling out the roster is a lot more difficult to do with this new collective bargaining agreement. Grabbing a quality starting center along with Allen and maybe even Little could go a long way for this rotation. These aren’t sexy names to fill out the rotation, but they can be very solid in their roles. That’s important when trying to round out a “super team.”
Grade: B-
Blazers acquire Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, 2029 first and pick swap with Bucks
Update: Jrue Holiday was traded to the Boston Celtics on Oct. 1. Details of that trade can be found here.
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The Blazers were adamant they didn’t need to give in to Lillard’s and Miami’s wishes for a partnership. Many scoffed. Many rallied around them taking a stand in today’s player empowerment environment. Many just waited for them to give in to the reported offer of Tyler Herro, picks and role players.
Instead, Portland gets a good, young center in Ayton to help in the rebuilding process with Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe. The Blazers also get some potential draft help down the road, and they acquire another big-time asset to flip.
Holiday, 33, is unlikely to stick with Portland. Trading him to a contender or hopeful contender is a lot more enticing than convincing someone that Herro and his $120 million owed are a sure bet. Herro has a lot of potential and substance, but he’s not the difference-maker Holiday is. This is a great initial move with another trade to help acquire more future help potentially right around the corner.
General manager Joe Cronin has struggled in a lot of these deals in reshaping the roster and moving to a new era in his short time running the Portland front office. I don’t want to guarantee he’ll make a great move with Holiday, but this has potential.
Grade: B+
(Top photo of Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday: Abbie Parr / Getty Images)