The Portland Trail Blazers traded Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, ending a lengthy stalemate that began when the seven-time all-star guard requested a trade July 1.
In exchange for Lillard, Portland will receive guard Jrue Holiday, an unprotected 2029 first-round draft pick and first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030 from Milwaukee along with center Deandre Ayton and forward Toumani Camara from Phoenix. The Suns will receive center Jusuf Nurkic and forwards Nassir Little and Keon Johnson from the Blazers along with guard Grayson Allen from the Bucks. Terms of the deal were first reported by ESPN, and the Blazers and Bucks formally announced the trade Wednesday evening.
The long-awaited trade, which comes after months of rumors linking Lillard to the Miami Heat, happened less than a week before Portland and Milwaukee were set to hold media days at the start of training camp. However, it provides some late-breaking clarity for both sides.
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The Bucks will surround two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo with Lillard, forward Khris Middleton and center Brook Lopez as they gear up for another championship chase after winning the 2021 title. Antetokounmpo and Lillard ranked among the NBA’s top five scorers last season, and new Bucks coach Adrian Griffin should have enough firepower to improve an offense that ranked 18th in efficiency last season.
“Damian Lillard is an elite player in our league and someone we’ve long been fans of,” Bucks General Manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “These opportunities are rare and hard to measure and execute. His character, competitiveness, talent and experience complement our group and gives us the best chance to win at the very highest level as we create new memories together.”
Meanwhile, the Blazers will enter a youth movement built around the 25-year-old Ayton, 2023 No. 3 draft pick Scoot Henderson, 2022 lottery pick Shaedon Sharpe and scoring guard Anfernee Simons, with Holiday as a possible trade piece or a veteran mentor for their young guards.
Milwaukee has faced public pressure from Antetokounmpo to go all-in multiple times this offseason. Swapping Holiday for Lillard will give the Bucks, who were bounced by the Heat in the first round of the playoffs this spring, a proven threat to address late-game offensive woes that have plagued them in postseasons past. Antetokounmpo, 28, is under contract through the 2025-26 season, but he will probably face a decision on whether to sign a contract extension or pursue a trade next summer.
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Lillard, 33, spent the first 11 seasons of his career in Portland, where he became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and a seven-time all-NBA selection. Taken with the sixth pick in the 2012 draft out of Weber State, Lillard quickly established himself as the 2013 rookie of the year and ascended to franchise player status when LaMarcus Aldridge left for the San Antonio Spurs in 2015.
An elite scorer known for his deep shooting range and clutch heroics, Lillard led Portland to the playoffs eight times, hitting series-clinching shots against the Houston Rockets in 2014 and the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019. Though Lillard led the Blazers to the 2019 Western Conference finals, their first appearance in the NBA’s final four since 2000, Portland missed the postseason each of the past two seasons as it entered a rebuilding cycle.
After winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Lillard played just 29 games in the 2021-22 season because of an abdominal injury that required surgery, and Portland traded several veterans before slipping in the standings. He returned last season to average a career-high 32.2 points along with 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists, but the Blazers shut him down in March and lost 16 of their last 17 games in preparation for the draft lottery.
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While Lillard hoped the Blazers would pursue veteran talent via trade so they could return to the playoffs, Portland instead selected Henderson, a 19-year-old point guard who seemed destined to become Lillard’s heir apparent. That decision prioritized the franchise’s future over its present, setting the stage for Lillard’s trade request, which included the desire to be sent to the Heat and drew criticism from some observers who noted Lillard had long expressed loyalty to Portland and questioned stars who sought to form super teams.
Portland made no other additions of consequence this summer as General Manager Joe Cronin pledged during the Las Vegas Summer League in July to be patient exploring the trade market. More than two months later, he found a deal that will free the Blazers from the pressure to build an immediate winner and set up what will probably be a multiyear rebuilding effort.
“I want to express my gratitude to Damian for 11 storied years with this franchise and for his loyalty to the Portland community,” Cronin said in a statement. “From becoming the all-time leading points scorer in franchise history to his dedicated commitment to youth across Oregon and the entire Pacific Northwest, Damian is and will remain a titan and a true trailblazer to this city.”
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Lillard’s 11-year run in Portland was tied for the third longest of any active player with the same franchise, trailing only Golden State Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
“The casuals won’t be addressed but the Trail Blazers fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be … and they will be addressed truthfully,” Lillard wrote on social media after news of the trade agreement spread. “Stay tuned. Excited for my next chapter!”
By trading for Lillard, Milwaukee will assume the four years and $216 million remaining on his contract. With Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Middleton and Lopez, the Bucks will hope this trade helps extend their championship contention window for another two seasons and convinces Antetokounmpo, who can become a free agent in 2025, to remain in Milwaukee.
The Bucks made a similar trade for Holiday in 2020 that kept Antetokounmpo in town and aided their 2021 title run, which was the franchise’s first championship in 50 years. With the 33-year-old Holiday on track to become a free agent next summer, he could command immediate interest from contending teams looking to add an elite perimeter defender with extensive playoff experience.
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“These are the hardest, most human moments of this business. Jrue was unmatched in his commitment to the Bucks and the greater Milwaukee community,” Horst said. “He’s truly a champion on and off the court, and we are all thankful for what he and his family have given to our team and city.”
Phoenix’s decision to swap Ayton for Nurkic was largely motivated by financial reasons. The Suns faced a logjam on their salary cap sheet after recent trades for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, and Ayton had expressed unhappiness with his role in recent years.
Ayton, the top pick in the 2018 draft, averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds last season, but he is owed more than $100 million combined over the next three seasons. Nurkic, 29, averaged 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds last year and will make about $54 million over the next three seasons.
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