The Milwaukee Bucks had eyed former Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal this offseason before acquiring Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers. It looks like as time passes by, trading for Lillard was such a better move for the Bucks than getting Beal.
Bradley Beal will be out for the next three weeks for the Phoenix Suns with lower back tightness. It will be interesting to see whether or not he will be out longer than that for the Suns. Beal has only appeared in three games so far this season for Phoenix.
He is averaging 17.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 4.7 APG. Beal is 30 years old and has been dealing with some injuries as of late. Phoenix is 7-6 on the year, and they are currently in the eighth spot in the Western Conference. What would have happened if the Milwaukee Bucks traded for him and he was out due to injury?
The fanbase would have turned on general manager Jon Horst, and the Bucks have been dealing with injury-prone players like Khris Middleton over the past couple of seasons. Trading away Jrue Holiday for Bradley Beal would have also been a mistake for Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Bucks Seem to be Fine with a Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo Pairing, and a Bradley Beal pairing with Giannis Antetokounmpo May Not Have Gone as Planned
Lillard and Beal are two totally different NBA players. Damian Lillard wants the ball with the game on the line and is a tremendous pick-and-roll player. Bradley Beal is more of a player who loves to score 20-25 points a night, but does he contribute to winning basketball? Lillard is a player who cares about being loyal and winning an NBA Championship, and it was one of the reasons why he didn’t want to leave the Portland Trail Blazers in the first place.
In 11 games played for Milwaukee so far this season, Damian Lillard is averaging 24.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 6.2 APG. He is 33 years old and searching for his first NBA ring. Yes, Bradley Beal is also searching for his first NBA ring with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on the Phoenix Suns, but the Bucks would be in a worse spot right now with Beal than Lillard because Giannis Antetokounmpo would have to be carrying them every single night.
