For years, Milwaukee Bucks fans have dreamed about Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard teaming up in the 414.
That interest has certainly intensified over the past few months, with Lillard requesting a change of scenery in the form of a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. While Miami Has been atop the guard’s wishlist from the start, that has seemingly not stopped the Bucks from at least checking in on what it might take to get Lillard.
According to senior NBA writer Marc J. Spears, the Bucks have had conversations with the Blazers about a Lillard deal.
Reaction to the Bucks talking to Trail Blazers about Damian Lillard trade
First and foremost, the Bucks would have been foolish not to inquire about Lillard in any capacity. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s recent comments about wanting to make sure this team is capable of competing for a title before signing an extension should have the front office on high alert for any upgrades. Getting Lillard would unquestionably show how committed management is to winning.
The Bucks did something similar when Kevin Durant became available last off-season, as it was reported that they called the Brooklyn Nets about him as well despite it being a long shot that they would actually come away with him.
To go along with that, Lillard is someone Giannis seemingly admires, as the two have reportedly held discussions in the past about playing together. Bringing in Lillard would not only give the Bucks an elite partner for the Greek Freak, but it would be someone he has shown a desire to play alongside for quite some time.
Lillard would be an incredible addition to this team, pairing Giannis with an elite offensive player who can score and facilitate with the best of them. He’s coming off a year where he averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game to go along with 7.3 assists per game.
While Lillard would be a tremendous addition, it’s quite unlikely that the Bucks will win the Dame sweepstakes, largely due to a lack of compelling draft capital. They’ve got nice assets in terms of players, but the Blazers will almost certainly command multiple first round picks in exchange for their disgruntled star.
Who knows, perhaps General Manager Jon Horst could pull a rabbit out of his hat and find a way to satisfy Portland’s hefty demands with some sort of multi-team deal.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis and trade rumors.