Milwaukee Bucks news: Damian Lillard shocked the basketball world earlier this summer when he suddenly demanded a trade away from the Portland Trail Blazers. The seven-time All-NBA guard was a loyal servant to the Blazers for 11 memorable years, which is why it came as a surprise for most that he wanted out.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Damian Lillard Speaks Out
At this point, there’s no denying that Dame’s trade saga turned ugly. He had informed Portland’s front office that his preferred destination was the Miami Heat, but for one reason or another, the Blazers just couldn’t strike a deal with Pat Riley and Co.
Some reports even went as far as saying that Portland general manager Joe Cronin had a personal vendetta against Dame’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, which was a key factor in the deal falling through. Moreover, Cronin reportedly turned down Lillard’s offer to return to the team after the botched Heat trade, saying that it would be in everyone’s best interest if Dame just left.
For his part, however, Lillard isn’t holding any grudges. He also admits, though, that while bridges weren’t exactly burned, it’s also true that to certain extent, there’s just no going back to how things used to be:
“There’s a lot of people there — including [Blazers coach] Chauncey [Billups] — I still have a lot of love for,” Lillard says, via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “I just feel like it had run its course. I hate the way that it went and how it became a public thing the way it did, but it is what it is. I made peace with it, and I don’t walk away from it with any hard feelings. I don’t think all of the relationships will be the same, but I don’t have hard feelings toward anybody.”
You have to commend Dame for being a true professional about all this. He did everything he could for the Blazers organization for 11 years and this is how they reward his loyalty.
Then again, landing with the Milwaukee Bucks isn’t all that bad. Not one bit.
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