Phew. What a blockbuster trade for a random late September day.
On Wednesday, the Portland Trail Blazers finally dealt Damian Lillard, shockingly sending him to play with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team trade with the Phoenix Suns. Lillard should fit in seamlessly, bolstering Milwaukee as a bona fide NBA title contender.
Meanwhile, Portland finally closes the door on the Lillard era and moves on to building around 2023 top draft pick Scoot Henderson. There’s a lot to unpack here on a move with significant ramifications for the NBA now and down the line.
Let’s hand out some grades for this monster deal.
The details
Here are the details of this trade, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The Bucks get:
- G Damian Lillard
The Trail Blazers get:
- G Jrue Holiday, C DeAndre Ayton, F Toumani Camara, the Bucks’ 2029 first-round pick, and a pick swap in 2028 and 2030
The Suns get:
- C Jusuf Nurkic, F Nassir Little, G Keon Johnson, G Grayson Allen
Milwaukee Bucks
There’s no sugarcoating it. The Bucks hit a home run here. Giannis Antetokounmpo started asking for help recently and threatened about his long-term future, so Milwaukee wasted no time. It went out and acquired a legitimate superstar in Lillard, the perfect running mate for Antetokounmpo in his quest for a second title. That the Bucks really only had to part with Holiday, Grayson Allen, and some long-term draft considerations they shouldn’t concern themselves with right now is a massive win.
And for Lillard, he gets arguably one of the best possible options to finally win his first-ever championship. If the star guard had joined Miami, this would also have been the case. Instead, he goes to a conference rival and revitalizes a Bucks team that was stuck in neutral of late.
Milwaukee was already considered an elite title contender before it dealt for Lillard. Many will paint them as the rightful favorites to unseat the reigning champion Denver Nuggets now.
Grade: A+
Phoenix Suns
The moment the Suns traded for Bradley Beal, it was apparent that Ayton probably wouldn’t stick around. Phoenix hasn’t been the biggest fan of Ayton’s recent play and approach. This was probably the best way to serve and approach their inevitable break-up.
Nurkic is a much better fit for the Suns’ offense as a low-post player for Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker. And Ayton fits well with a rebuilding Portland. Everyone wins. Everyone should be happy.
Grade: B+
Portland Trail Blazers
The moment Lillard requested a trade, the Trail Blazers would always have their backs up against the wall. That they could still acquire a seemingly promising center like Ayton — undoubtedly the main attraction of their return — is a fantastic win. I would count Holiday, but I don’t think the 33-year-old will be staying in Portland for long.
Without the dynamic Lillard in the fold, the Trail Blazers have officially closed the book on his era. It is Scoot Henderson’s time now, and he gets the chance to pair up with the 25-year-old Ayton. This is not a bad deal by any stretch of the imagination. It might have been the best Portland could do, and looping Phoenix in for Ayton was a master stroke. Hats off to general manager Joe Cronin for sending Lillard somewhere he’d be happy and for taking care of Portland’s future at the same time.
Grade: A
