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Damian Lillard has lastly been traded, and it’s to a vacation spot nobody may have seen coming. The Portland Path Blazers have agreed to ship the celebrity guard to the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster three-team commerce that instantly reshapes the NBA championship image, in accordance with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal additionally consists of the Phoenix Suns.
The Bucks are getting Lillard. The Blazers are getting Jrue Vacation, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Milawukee’s 2029 unprotected first spherical choose, and unprotected first spherical swap rights with the Bucks in 2028 and 2030. The Suns land Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson within the deal.
Wojnarowski studies that the Blazers will look to commerce Jrue Vacation this season. Vacation is slated to change into a free agent after the upcoming 2023-2024 season:
The Blazers stay engaged elsewhere on offers and can are anticipated to instantly interact contending groups on commerce talks to maneuver on Jrue Vacation, sources inform ESPN. Portland is dedicated to its younger group of proficient guards. https://t.co/6IR7bcFVrr
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 27, 2023
Lillard requested a commerce to the Miami Warmth days after the Path Blazers chosen level guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 general choose within the 2023 NBA Draft. Lillard’s future in Portland had been the topic of hypothesis for the final a number of years, however he lastly determined he wanted a change of surroundings coming off consecutive seasons the place the workforce missed the playoffs.
At 33 years outdated, Lillard is coming off arguably the perfect season of his profession, averaging 32.2 factors per sport on astounding 64.5 p.c true taking pictures a yr in the past. He may be the NBA’s finest pick-and-roll level guard, and its most harmful pull-up shooter this facet of Stephen Curry.
Lillard is coming into a Bucks workforce that’s coming off a devastating first spherical playoff defeat to the No. 8 seed Miami Warmth. Giannis Antetokounmpo was injured within the first sport of the collection, however returned for Milwaukee’s final two losses.
Antetokounmpo spent the offseason hinting that he could request a commerce from Milwaukee in the future. Now, the Bucks are all-in on making an attempt to get Antetokounmpo one other championship.
The Path Blazers are actually totally dedicated to a rebuild. Portland has a proficient younger backcourt in place with Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, and now provides a pair intriguing younger forwards and a few draft picks to their chest of belongings. It is a robust day for Portland as a result of Lillard is arguably the perfect participant in franchise historical past, however they recouped stable worth for a participant his age with such a profitable long-term contract. Lillard has 4 years, $216 million left on his contract.
Lillard and Antetokounmpo is a dream pairing. The Bucks retain Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez within the deal. This commerce can also be a giant transfer for one more title contender within the Suns. Phoenix strikes on from heart Deandre Ayton, the previous No. 1 general draft choose in 2018, to get extra depth and extra taking pictures. It will likely be fascinating to see how Nurkic works because the Suns’ new beginning heart.
The Bucks could have simply change into the championship favorites. We’ll replace this story because it develops.
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