The Milwaukee Bucks have shocked the NBA by trading for seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard. Like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lillard is a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team and averaged over 30 points per game last season. Through this trade to Milwaukee, Lillard is reunited with Terry Stotts. Stotts, now an assistant coach on Adrian Griffin’s staff, was the head coach of the Blazers for years while Lillard was on the team.
Related: Milwaukee Bucks: Miami Heat Star Accuses Team of Tampering in Wake of Damian Lillard Trade
Lillard and Bucks’ star Giannis Antetokounmpo have long talked about playing together. However, for years, neither was willing to leave the team that drafted them. After Lillard’s fallout with the Blazers’ front office, and after Giannis indicated the Bucks needed to prove they were committed to winning before he would sign an extension, Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst went out and got Lillard.
New Milwaukee Bucks Point Guard Damian Lillard Shares a Message for Fans on Social Media
For months, it was reported that the Miami Heat were the only team that Lillard wanted to play for. Some even said that Lillard would just demand a trade from whatever team Portland moved him to if that team were not Miami.
That, however, does not seem to be the case. Damian Lillard posted the following message on Twitter (X) when the trade news broke:
The casuals won’t be addressed but the trailblazers fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be … and they will be addressed truthfully. Stay tuned
Excited for my next chapter! @Bucks 🎟️
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 27, 2023
Lillard expresses that he is truly excited to play for the Bucks. He also teases a more thought-out farewell address later.
It is noticeable that he did not address the Trailblazers organization; but perhaps he will mention the individuals within the organization when he pens his official goodbye.
This Is an Exciting Era of Milwaukee Bucks Basketball
For years, Milwaukee was stuck in NBA purgatory. Free agents avoided it; players drafted into it left as soon as they were able; and the NBA almost moved the franchise to Seattle.
One really has to applaud the efforts to build a winner by the ownership group led by Wes Edens. One must also be (albeit begrudgingly) appreciative that super-spender billionaire Jimmy Haslam bought out Alex Lasry’s share of the team after the former expressed his desire to slash Milwaukee’s payroll.
Additionally, one must also be appreciative of the culture of winning that was built by former head coach Mike Budenholzer. For all of his failures in the NBA Playoffs, he did bring home a title to the city for the first time in 50 years. He also set a standard of excellence that was so high even he failed to attain it.
This is an exciting era of Bucks basketball. Even “Bucks in Six” legend Brandon Jennings posted on social media that he believes this will be the best era of basketball the city of Milwaukee has ever seen:
This will be the greatest era of basketball Milwaukee has ever seen!!!
— Brandon Jennings (@Tuff__Crowd) September 27, 2023
Savor this, Bucks fans.
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