Not too many folks envisioned the Milwaukee Bucks landing Damian Lillard. The Miami Heat were considered the frontrunners to land Dame throughout the offseason, and even after that move fell through, Milwaukee just didn’t feel like a very realistic landing spot for the seven-time All-Star.
This is probably because a Giannis Antetokounmpo-Damian Lillard pairing just sounds insane. It is. And this is the daunting prospect the rest of the NBA will have to deal with now that this has become a reality.
Paul Pierce Predicted Damian Lillard-to-Milwaukee Bucks Trade
Paul Pierce saw it coming, though. The Boston Celtics icon correctly predicted the Lillard trade nearly three months ago — including Jrue Holiday heading in the opposite direction.
Apparently, this is exactly why they call him The Truth.
“If I could pick a place for Dame, I’ll find a way to get to Milwaukee,” Pierce said (h/t Advait Jajodia of The Sports Rush). “You could kind of trade like Jrue Holiday, I like Jrue, and replace him with Dame… But they need that, Antetokounmpo need the other consistent scorer. Middelton’s been injured and he slowing down.
“If you put Middleton, Dame, and Antetokounmpo together, you think that ain’t going to win it? The way Dame is clutch? The way Dame is a top 75 Hall-Of-Fame player?”
He’s called The Truth for a reason. 💯@paulpierce34 predicted Dame to Milwaukee at Vegas Summer League. pic.twitter.com/doffnCAT8M
— SHOWTIME Basketball (@shobasketball) October 3, 2023
It will be very interesting to see what Pierce has to say now that his bold prediction has come to fruition.
Jrue Holiday Lands With Paul Pierce’s Celtics
What’s even more intriguing is what the Hall of Famer thinks of his Celtics eventually landing Holiday. The Bucks shipped off the five-time All-Defensive combo guard to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the Dame blockbuster deal, but it wasn’t long before the Blazers flipped him to Boston.
The Celtics got a whole lot better with Holiday in the mix, with some even saying that Milwaukee may have indirectly helped their biggest competitor in the East. I’m pretty sure Pierce has a big smile on his face right about now.
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