At long last, the Damian Lillard trade sweepstakes have come to an end, but he won’t be headed to Miami.
On Wednesday, the Trail Blazers reportedly agreed to trade the seven-time All-Star to the Bucks as part of a three-team deal which also included the Suns.
The blockbuster trade closes the curtain on what was, for better or for worse, one of the most relentless storylines of the 2023 offseason.
The new tandem of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard figure to be a real force in the Eastern Conference, and fans are already excited envisioning what’s to come for Milwaukee.
Social media was abuzz in the aftermath of the blockbuster Lillard trade, which fans had been anticipating for months. With the Bucks stunningly jumping the line and landing the superstar point guard, the NBA world on X had plenty to say.
BREAKING: The Portland Trail Blazers are trading guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/FRgQyDVjQG
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 27, 2023
Giannis: "I want everybody on the same page competing for a championship... If I don't feel that, I'm not [re]-signing."
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) September 27, 2023
The Bucks one month later: https://t.co/lJtvdUGZ03
Dame and Giannis
— Overtime (@overtime) September 27, 2023
pic.twitter.com/gE7GHmRwUo
The Dame/Giannis two-man game will be unstoppable
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) September 27, 2023
Someone, please check on all the poor souls who for months insisted -- with absolute certitude, bordering on sanctimony -- that Dame could *only* end up in Miami, because, er, reasons.
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) September 27, 2023
Damian Lillard: I only want to go to Miami.
— Alexis Morgan (@alexismorgan) September 27, 2023
Portland: pic.twitter.com/jcH3PGrw17
Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo in recent years flirted with idea of playing with one another but the hold up was each star wanted the other to join their team. Milwaukee landed Antetokounmpo’s desired star mate.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 27, 2023
Giannis told them boys his future was uncertain and they went out and brought him Dame, I respect it.
— Niko (@nikotaughtyou) September 27, 2023
Dame wanted to go to Miami and they sent this man to Milwaukee. Gonna be fun to watch with Giannis but that’s dirty work by Portland.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 27, 2023
The Blazers worked out a 3-team deal where they aren’t getting anything from Milwaukee they plan on keeping.
— Silas P. Silas (@KennySpenceNBA) September 27, 2023
Like I’ve said the whole time, it was never about receiving the best assets from Miami. It was about not giving Dame what he wanted.
Nothing Riley could do about that
