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 [September 28, 2023]
The Milwaukee Bucks acquired seven-time All-Star guard Damian
Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a three-team
trade on Wednesday.
The Trail Blazers, who confirmed the deal Wednesday night, are
picking up guard Jrue Holiday, center Deandre Ayton, rookie forward
Toumani Camara, Milwaukee's unprotected first-round pick in 2029 and
swap rights with the Bucks on first-round picks in 2028 and 2030.
The Phoenix Suns, in turn, are acquiring center Jusuf Nurkic, guard
Grayson Allen, small forward Nassir Little and guard Keon Johnson.
Lillard, 33, has played his entire 11-year career with Portland,
which selected him with the sixth overall pick of the 2012 NBA
Draft. Now, Lillard will join forces with two-time NBA MVP Giannis
Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
"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," Lillard wrote on Twitter. "Excited for my
next chapter!"
Lillard won't have long to wait to face his former team. The Trail
Blazers visit Milwaukee on Nov. 26, and the teams will reconvene in
Portland on Jan. 31.
Lillard averaged a franchise-record 32.2 points per game in 2022-23,
the third-highest clip in the league, but the Trail Blazers finished
33-49 and missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
Named one of the NBA's 75 greatest players of all-time in 2021,
Lillard won Rookie of the Year honors in 2012-13 and has made
All-NBA teams seven times. He is Portland's career leader in points
(19,376) and 3-point field goals (2,387).
"On behalf of the entire Portland Trail Blazers organization, I want
to express my gratitude to Damian for 11 storied years with this
franchise and for his loyalty to the Portland community," general
manager Joe Cronin said in a statement from the team. "From becoming
the all-time leading points scorer in franchise history to his
dedicated commitment to youth across Oregon and the entire Pacific
Northwest, Damian is and will remain a titan and a true trailblazer
to this city."
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While Lillard is on his way to Milwaukee, multiple
media outlets reported the Trail Blazers are expected to immediately
begin trade talks to move Holiday to a contending team. Portland
reportedly is committed to its young group of guards.
Holiday, 33, has a $36.8 million cap hit in the final guaranteed
season of a four-year, $134,997,333 contract with a player option
for 2024-25.
Holiday averaged 19.3 points, 7.4 assists and a career-best 5.1
rebounds in 67 games (65 starts) last season with the Bucks.
Ayton, 25, contributed 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in 67 games
(all starts) last season with the Suns. He was selected by Phoenix
with the top overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft.
Camara, 23, was selected by Portland in the second round of the 2023
NBA Draft out of Dayton.
Nurkic, 29, chipped in 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds in 52 games (all
starts) in 2022-23 with the Trail Blazers.
Allen, 27, averaged 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and a career-best 2.3
assists in 72 games (70 starts) last season with the Bucks.
Little, 23, contributed 6.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists in
54 games (four starts) in 2022-23 with Portland.
Johnson, 21, chipped in 4.7 points and 1.1 rebounds in 40 games off
the bench last season with the Trail Blazers.
--Field Level Media
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