The Milwaukee Bucks know they need Damian Lillard if they’re serious about making a run for the Larry O’Brien trophy by the time the 2025 postseason begins.
While it’s true that Dame Time performed worse than expected in his first season away from the Portland Trail Blazers, it also cannot be denied that he’s a key component to any playoff success Milwaukee wants to achieve moving forward. He’s still widely regarded as one of the best point guards in the league, and his offensive skill set is still too good for opposing head coaches to be lax around him.
It’s fair to think that the Milwaukee Bucks will do everything they can to keep Dame in Wisconsin. It’s hard to find another player who could help Giannis Antetokounmpo make a deep playoff run the way the Weber State product could.
However, one rumor may thwart everything if it holds any grain of truth.
Analyst points to Miami Heat possibly making a big trade for Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard
Everyone and their mother knew that Dame wanted to join Jimmy Butler in Miami before the Trail Blazers eventually decided to move him to Milwaukee. While some thought that pairing up with Giannis quelled any rumors of him wanting to move to South Beach, one analyst thinks that the Heat are still in the running to get the point guard.
Per Athlon Sports’ Sourav Mahanty:
In the article, ‘3 Stars the Heat could target in a mid-season trade if their seasons go south’ on All U Can Heat, Wes Goldberg wrote: “If the Bucks experiment fails and it’s clear by February that thing is done, what’s to stop the Heat from calling the Bucks about Lillard?
“At that point, he’ll have two-and-a-half years left on his contract, and Milwaukee could be motivated to get younger and cheaper around Giannis. Could the Heat interest them in Wisconsin native Tyler Herro and valuable depth pieces?
“Lillard could join Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler in Miami. As beat up as the Heat have been, they still feel more structurally sound than the Bucks. Lillard could be the piece that puts them over the top during their shrinking window.”
If the Heat does put up an offer that would send Herro home alongside a couple of key rotation pieces, there’s no reason why the Bucks wouldn’t pull the trigger on such a move.
However, the Milwaukee front office also knows that they’re at risk of losing a player who’s determined to do right by the Bucks this season. Damian Lillard averaged 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.0 steals a game in his down year, which is crazy impressive if you stop and think about it.
Herro is great bait for the Milwaukee front office if they feel the Antetokounmpo-Lillard partnership isn’t working before the trade deadline. However, this prospective move is something the Bucks must mull over before pulling the trigger.
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