Damian Lillard Traded To Bucks In Blockbuster Three-Team Deal

Damian Lillard Traded To Bucks

NBA fans, we knew this was coming. 

After years and years of showing his loyalty to the Trail Blazers, superstar point guard Damian Lillard is on the move as Portland agreed to make good on his trade request.

Here’s how it breaks down.

The Bucks got Lillard.

The Blazers got Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Milwaukee’s 2029 1st-round pick and two future 1st round pick swaps.

The Suns got Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson.

Phew! 

This certainly shakes things up. Let’s explore how this trade impacted three teams in particular and then reveal the best NBA champion bet on the board right now.

Milwaukee Bucks: The Big Winners

Projected Starters: Damian Lillard, Pat Connaughton, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez

Bench: Bobby Portis, Malik Beasley, Jae Crowder, Robin Lopez, MarJon Beauchamp, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, AJ Green, Andre Jackson Jr., Lindell Wigginton, Chris Livingston

Championship Odds Movement (FanDuel): +600 to +360

To me, Milwaukee was the clear and obvious winner of the trade.

Essentially, the Bucks flipped Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, a 1st Round draft pick and two pick swaps for Lillard. In 58 games played last season, Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists over 36.3 minutes and the future Hall of Famer will provide exactly what Milwaukee needs alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo: a proven closer who can hit big shots.

Just think back to what the Timberwolves had to give up to get Brook Lopez (five 1st Round picks) and you can see how well the Bucks made out here. This team has superstar talent, is anchored by elite defenders (Giannis and Brook Lopez) and has solid depth. 

To highlight just how impactful this move was, Lillard ranked in the top 5 in FiveThirtyEight’s Total RAPTOR, which is an all-encompassing metric that uses play-by-play and player-tracking data to calculate each player’s individual plus-minus measurements and wins above replacement, which also accounts for playing time. Not only that, but he ranked second in the NBA in Offensive RAPTOR, slightly behind Nikola Jokic. This is a splashy move and one that will likely keep Giannis in Milwaukee for at least another extension, which is an added bonus.

Phoenix Suns: All About Depth

Projected Starters: Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkic

Bench: Eric Gordon, Grayson Allen, Jordan Goodwin, Keita Bates-Diop, Yuta Wantanabe, Damion Lee, Bol Bol, Keon Johnson, Nassir Little, Drew Eubanks

Championship Odds Movement (Caesars): +650 to +550

With Deandre Ayton heading to Portland, Devin Booker is now the only player remaining from Phoenix’s 2020-2021 NBA Finals team. However, that roster turnover doesn’t really matter since Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are in town.

Ridding themselves of Ayton (who didn’t fit in well with this roster based on his playing style) and not only adding proven team player Jusuf Nurkic, but also Grayson Allen, Keon Johnson and Nassir Little for depth, was very smart. This team needed to add depth and that's exactly what they did. That’s why their odds got shorter. Phoenix was already a solid championship bet, but this added depth will allow them to stay afloat if one or two of their stars miss time, making them more valuable.

When thinking about Phoenix’s center spot, I would actually rather have Nurkic than Ayton. Not only has Ayton failed to notably progress in the NBA, but he has failed to fit in and adapt to what his team needs. Nurkic will be a willing rebounder, a physical presence on both ends of the floor and has surprising upside as a facilitator. Also as an impactful screen-setter, he will be very important to Beal, Booker, Durant and any other ball-handlers on the floor. 

Miami Heat: The Big Losers

Projected Starters: Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, Bam Adebayo

Bench: Josh Richardson, Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith, Kevin Love, Nikola Jokvic, Thomas Bryant, Orlando Robinson, Dru Smith, Jamal Cain

Championship Odds Movement (DraftKings): +900 to +2800

This team made the NBA Finals last season, but was presumed to land Lillard. Now without him, their championship odds rightfully tanked. If you’re a believer in last year’s squad (plus Jaime Jaquez Jr.), this is a great time to capitalize on the price, but they clearly lost out on making the most impactful move of the offseason.

Boston Celtics: Still The Best Bet

Projected Starters: Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford

Bench: Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III, Oshae Brissett, Lamar Stevens, Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, Dalano Banton, Jordan Walsh, Svi Mykhailiuk, Luke Kornet

Championship Odds (BetMGM): +500

Before this trade went down, BetQL projected this Celtics team to win 57 regular season games and I wrote about how much I loved them after trading for Kristaps Porzingis. There’s no doubt in my mind that this team will enter 2023-2024 more dangerous than they ended the playoffs in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, even without Marcus Smart and Grant Williams.

Not only will Porzingis’ addition allow Joe Mazzulla and his staff to create some really interesting offensive mismatches, but this team will be able to mix and match in the frontcourt, backcourt and on the wings. Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III should crush opposing second units and the sneaky additions of Oshae Brissett and Lamar Stevens could make a difference since either can be used as defensive specialists. 

After losing in the NBA Finals and then Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics are ready to take the next step and I would give them a slight edge over the Bucks in a seven-game series with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way.