The Damian Lillard saga has finally ended and it ends with him being shipped off to the Milwaukee Bucks in a 3 team trade that also includes the Phoenix Suns. In return the Blazers got Jrue Holiday and 3 picks from Milwaukee and Deandre Ayton from Phoenix. The Suns receive Jursurf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson.

This is obviously a massive trade for the league. Damian Lillard was the most sought after player in the league when he demanded his trade. Lillard originally really wanted to go to Miami but it became clear that Miami did not have a package for Portland. Milwaukee took this opportunity to pull off the ultimate power move and Lillard. Lillard last season averaged 32 points per game and was absolutely electric. It was clear he has many more prime years in him. The return for Portland is pretty good. Jrue Holiday is a great player and getting Deandre Ayton is huge. Ayton desperately needed a change of scenery and in Portland he might be able to unlock his potential. And of course draft picks are good.

Phoenix also added some much needed depth to their roster. The Suns also had a very eventful off-season trading Chris Paul away for Bradley Beal. Their roster boasts huge amounts of potential firepower but their depth was extremely lacking. Adding Jursurf Nurkic and Grayson Allen were amazing moves for Phoenix. But obviously this trade most impacts the Milwaukee Bucks. Everyone seems to have forgotten about the Bucks after their 1st round embarrassment against the Miami Heat. People for some reason forgot that the Bucks still have a 2 time MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo who has proven his ability to turn up in the playoffs.

Now adding Damian Lillard, one of the most clutch and electric players of this generation is an absurd power move. That duo is absolutely terrifying for the rest of the league. The Bucks still kept Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez which was very important. More so, Lopez as his interior presence is crucial. Losing Jrue Holiday is obviously a tough loss as his play on both sides of the ball was amazing in his years as a Buck. He was a huge part in their 2021 Championship. But it’s clear that the Bucks wanted to go all out this year, with Giannis making comments that made his future as a Buck uncertain, the Bucks front office decided that they had to go all out. And while many superstar tandems have been formed and failed, I have a feeling that the Greek Freak and Dame Time will bring more silverware to Milwaukee.