Milwaukee Bucks news: At one point in the offseason, Damian Lillard’s trade saga with the Portland Trail Blazers had reached a standstill. Dame’s proposed move to the Miami Heat fell apart after the two teams failed to reach an agreement. All of a sudden, it seemed like Lillard was going to stay in Portland after all.
And then, without warning, Lillard was a member of the Bucks. After months in what felt like basketball purgatory, the 33-year-old suddenly had to pack his bags and move virtually halfway across the country.
Damian Lillard’s Wild Path to Milwaukee Bucks
Dame admits that the saga had taken its toll on him. When he demanded a trade away from Portland, the seven-time All-Star envisioned a smooth transition to his new team, which at that time, was supposed to be Miami. That never came to fruition.
“In the beginning, I thought it would happen faster,” Lillard tells ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “But as it got later, it just became a little bit more stressful than I would’ve liked.”
Dame then described the exact moment he learned about the blockbuster trade. Apparently, he had to find out from social media:
“I was literally sitting down in my man cave, thinking I’m going to be in Portland until the [trade] deadline [in February], when I got on Instagram,” Dame said.
“… There was a picture of me and Giannis on a boxing page I follow called Champ Side. I thought it was speculation.
“Boom! Just like that. Then as I was talking to [Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin], I saw I had a text from [Blazers general manager Joe Cronin] saying, ‘Just tried you.’
“I guess he tried to call me, but I didn’t see it. Honestly, I didn’t even look to see if he called me after that. It was done. I was just like, ‘Whatever.’
“I had to move on.”
Lillard’s head had to be spinning at that point. He had long wished to leave Portland, but when it finally came, the daunting reality of his departure must have felt like a bomb dropping on him.
“Honestly, I had to sit down for a little bit,” Lillard says.
In the end, Dame Lillard got his wish. And so did Milwaukee fans everywhere.
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