Seven-time all-star Damian Lillard has officially been sent to the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster three-team trade involving the Suns, the Trail Blazers, and the Bucks. I think I speak for 99% of NBA fans when I say no one saw this one coming.
But aside from the Bucks, there were also two other teams involved in this trade. How did this move affect them? Well without further ado, I will be evaluating the impact that this trade will have on all three teams involved, in order from who got the worst part of the deal, to who got the best.
3. The Phoenix Suns
In this trade, the Suns received Grayson Allen, Keon Johnson, Nassir Little, and Jusuf Nurkic, while they had to give up Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara. Out of all three teams involved in this trade, the Suns got the short end of the stick. They traded away their former first overall pick in Deandre Ayton, who averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds last season, for what is essentially a watered down, less athletic version of him in Jusuf Nurkic.
However, I must make it clear that while the Suns didn’t benefit much from this trade, they by no means suffered. We can’t forget that this is still a Suns team with a big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. In reality, there wouldn’t be enough basketballs on the court to share among Durant, Booker, Beal, and Ayton. So it’s beneficial to both the Suns and Ayton that he was traded; the Suns because their big three will get the touches they need to win, and Ayton because he will get the touches he deserves.
The other pieces of this trade don’t have as much of an impact, because none of them will see the court since they will be playing behind Booker, Durant and Beal. Bol Bol and Eric Gordon will most likely fill the remaining starting spots, with Nurkic coming off the bench for big lineups. Nassir Little and Grayson Allen are both capable defenders, so I could see them getting some meaningful minutes off the bench for their defense, since the Suns have absolutely none of that after trading away Ayton.
2. The Portland Trail Blazers
Can I first just say how unfortunate it must be to be a Blazers fan. I mean, imagine having the second-best point guard in the league on your team for over a decade and never making it past the Conference finals. And to add on to that, the Blazers front office did basically nothing to add other all-stars apart from Damian Lillard to the roster. The best teammates he ever played with were Lamarcus Aldridge and CJ McCollum, neither of whom were sufficient enough to take the Blazers to that next level. And despite all of this, Damian Lillard would remain the Blazers’ loyal all-star. Until he wasn’t.
Damian Lillard would request a trade to the Heat on July 1, 2023, but he would instead end up on the Bucks and the Blazers would end up with Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Jrue Holiday, a 2029 first round pick and two first round pick swaps with the Bucks in 2028 and 2030.
Except the Blazers wouldn’t keep Jrue Holiday for long, as they would send him to the Celtics just days after acquiring him, in exchange for Malcom Brogdon, Robert Williams, and a couple of future first round picks. So the Blazers would basically end up gaining Deandre Ayton, Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams, and a bunch of future draft picks, in exchange for Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkic, and a couple others.
If I’m being honest, I’m not completely sold on the Blazers trading Holiday to the Celtics, because he would have been the perfect veteran presence that a younger team like the Blazers needs. Not to mention the fact that his defensive prowess would balance out the offensive firepower that the Blazers have in Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Jerami Grant.
However, this trade is definitely one that will benefit the Blazers in the long run. They have a young core in Henderson, Sharpe, and Anfernee Simons, all of whom are under 25 years old. Combine this with the draft picks that they got out of this trade, and the Blazers’ future is looking pretty bright.
Bringing in Deandre Ayton and Malcolm Brogdon will also add two veterans with playoff experience to the team, which will help the Blazers should they make it to the postseason.
1. The Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis and Damian Lillard are on the same team now. Do I need to say anything else?
I wasn’t joking when I said that no one saw this coming. Everyone thought that Lillard was heading to Miami for sure. But instead he got sent to Milwaukee, and the Bucks are now Eastern Conference favorites. Hopefully they can redeem themselves from the first round “L” the Heat handed them last season.
The Bucks did lose Jrue Holiday in this trade, which is a pretty big blow, especially on the defensive end. The fact that Jrue Holiday is now on the Celtics also means that the one-on-one matchups between him, a lockdown defender, and offensive heavy-hitter Damian Lillard, are going to be highly anticipated. Fans are excited to see which player will get the best of the other.
But the loss of Holiday still doesn’t change the fact that the second-best point guard in the league in Lillard, and arguably the best player in the league in Giannis are now teammates. Lillard adds another offensive threat that will take the pressure off of Giannis, and Giannis is still a fantastic defender in his own right. It’s difficult to imagine any other team, besides maybe the Denver Nuggets, stopping them. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them combine for 60 points on a nightly basis on their way to an NBA championship.
So, Damian Lillard is no longer a Trail Blazer, and the Bucks have become Western Conference, and maybe even NBA championship favorites in one fell swoop. It’s no secret that crazy things happen in the offseason, and I am excited to see how the effects of this trade will pan out.