Winners and losers of the Damian Lillard trade

Portland traded franchise participant Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, ending months of hypothesis. Listed below are the winners and losers of the three-team deal.

Winners

Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks took a giant swing to placate star Giannis Antetokounmpo and push their chips in on a title pursuit. Lillard and Antetokounmpo might kind probably the most potent inside-outside scoring mixture since Shaq and Kobe, and the Bucks have the defensive expertise to cowl for Lillard’s occasional lapses on that finish. They paid a stiff value in Jrue Vacation and three draft picks, however finally a generational expertise like Antetokounmpo must be their fast focus, relatively than a 2030 first-round choose who might be in seventh grade proper now.

Phoenix Suns: They gave up Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 choose from the 2018 draft, however they clearly weren’t infatuated together with his recreation. That was clear after they declined to supply Ayton a most extension after he helped them to the Finals in 2021, and solely signed him after matching Indiana’s supply. Now they’ve exchanged an sad heart for 4 further gamers, all of whom are cheaper and theoretically extra tradeable, however giving their top-heavy roster some much-needed depth and youth.

Portland Path Blazers: Sure, we’re calling this a win for all three groups concerned. Blazers normal supervisor Joe Cronin stayed affected person and waited almost three months to commerce his famous person level guard. For his endurance, he picked up a 25-year-old heart in Ayton, and the soon-to-be-traded Vacation, who ought to get the Blazers extra property for his or her younger core. Better of all, he acquired picks from after Lillard’s contract expires, which signifies that Portland followers can preserve rooting for Lillard with out worrying that Milwaukee’s success will damage their draft picks.

It was all the time in Portland’s finest curiosity to ditch Lillard and his big contract, however it is a respectable return for a workforce that is been prepared for a rebuild for no less than a yr.

Toronto Raptors: Whereas the Raptors thought-about a front-runner for Lillard earlier this week, buying and selling for Lillard by no means fairly made sense for them. Whereas he is an important offensive participant, including Lillard to the 41-41 Raptors won’t make them a assured playoff workforce, contemplating they must have given up OG Anunoby and/or Gary Trent Jr. within the deal. Lillard is an improve on the departed Fred VanVleet, however not a lot that he’d individually remodel the Raptors right into a contender.

Losers

Miami Warmth: The Warmth seemingly primarily based their offseason technique on bringing Lillard’s abilities to South Seashore. They let two starters from final season’s Finals workforce, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, depart in free company. Miami additionally risked alienating guard Tyler Herro, who spent his complete summer season listening to himself in commerce rumors. Now they’re attempting to repeat as Japanese Convention champions with Josh Richardson as their largest offseason pickup. Pat Riley and the Warmth have a well-earned fame of getting stars to return to Miami, however they could not pull it off this time.

Star participant leverage: The NBA noticed commerce requests from Lillard and James Harden this summer season, each of whom had most well-liked locations (Miami for Lillard, the Los Angeles Clippers for Harden). Neither participant acquired what they wished. It is turn out to be customary apply within the NBA for star gamers to signal huge contracts after which direct their technique to different cities — Harden did it twice since 2021 — however this time, groups held agency. Lillard demanded a commerce only a yr after signing a two-year extension by means of 2026-27. It should not be a shock that he did not additionally get to decide on his new workforce a yr later.

Boston Celtics: The Celtics have had playoff success in opposition to Milwaukee lately, however now they need to cope with Lillard as nicely. They’re going to have to do this with out the 2022 Defensive Participant of the 12 months, level guard Marcus Good, whom they traded to Memphis. In 12 career matchups, Good has held Lillard to 41.7 % capturing and solely 33 % from deep. The Celtics would possibly miss that protection in the event that they face Milwaukee in Could once more.

The deal additionally makes it more likely that Antetokounmpo indicators an extension in Milwaukee, retaining the Japanese Convention’s finest participant as a roadblock to Boston’s title hopes for the foreseeable future.  

Pascal Siakam: Siakam is eligible for a supermax contract if he makes one of many All-NBA groups this yr. That is a troublesome factor to attain on a mediocre workforce. The Raptors ahead would have had extra wins and a spotlight with Lillard on board. Now he is extra more likely to get traded on the deadline than qualify for a supermax.