A divorce between Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks was likely coming following the 2024-25 NBA season, no matter what. The Bucks likely would have preferred it to come via a trade rather than having to waive and stretch the guard a historic amount to sign Myles Turner. Based on rumors, there was a possibility that was coming before the Achilles tear.
According to The Athletic's Eric Nehm and Sam Amick (subscription required), had the Bucks lost in the first round with a healthy Lillard, there would have been conversations about whether the guard wanted to remain in Milwaukee. If the two sides came to an agreement that a trade might have been the best path for the franchise, the team could look a whole lot different right now.
Lillard trade could have revamped Bucks
While he wasn't the same dominant force he was in Portland, Lillard was still a back-to-back All-Star in his two seasons in Milwaukee. Had the Bucks put him on the trade market, teams would have been calling, and they likely could have gotten a solid package. Had Milwaukee acquired a package full of desirable players or picks, it could have been a shot in the arm for the Giannis era.
Of course, what a trade might have looked like will never be known, but there is a chance it could've extended the Giannis Antetokounmpo era, at least a little longer. Adding a different complementary star, depth, or picks would have given the franchise more to work with. The Doc Rivers cloud was still hanging over the franchise, but they could have easily replaced him.
Instead, Lillard's Achilles tear sent the Milwaukee Bucks spiraling into one of their worst seasons in an incredibly long time after doing anything they could to try to remain competitive.
Turner deal set the Bucks back quite a bit
While waiving Lillard's $113 million from the books was a massive gamble, everyone understood why the Milwaukee Bucks did it. With Giannis' future up in the air and Lillard set to likely miss the season to recover, the Bucks couldn't afford to wait. They saw an opportunity to add the best center left on the market and decided that the financial sacrifice was worth it. Enter Myles Turner.
Turner certainly isn't solely at fault for all of the Milwaukee Bucks' issues last season, but he didn't do much to remedy them. Blame that on Doc Rivers, the team's circumstances, or whatever else, but it didn't pan out. Now, the Bucks are without Giannis and have $22.5 million annually until the 2029-30 NBA season. Ouch.
What's done is done. Lillard and Antetokounmpo are gone. Turner is in town. All the Bucks can do is work with what they have. Still, it's interesting to think about where the team could be had Lillard not torn his Achilles.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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