The past few weeks have been a wild ride for the Milwaukee Bucks.
After losing in the first round for the third straight year and seeing All-Star Damian Lillard tear his Achilles after fighting to return to the floor, the Bucks knew they had to make some uncomfortable decisions. The main goal of the offseason was to stay competitive in the East and keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy.
It appears they were able to achieve both of those goals when they signed Myles Turner to a four-year deal, waiving and stretching Lillard to make it happen. Considering Lillard is set to miss all of next season, the Bucks couldn’t simply waste a season of Antetokounmpo’s prime as teams around the league are hoping for him to request a trade.
While sending out Lillard was an easy decision from a purely basketball perspective, the human element can make it difficult to go through with. Of course, the Bucks aren’t the first team to have that conundrum with Lillard, as the Portland Trail Blazers went through that a couple of years ago.
After Lillard was released by Milwaukee, he eventually made his way back to Portland, prompting Blazers GM Joe Cronin to reveal his true feelings about the point guard’s time in Milwaukee.
“It never felt right seeing Damian in a different jersey,” Cronin said. “We’re really excited to bring him back to Portland.”
While Lillard will miss next season rehabbing his torn Achilles, all will seem right in the basketball world again when he puts on a Portland jersey. As incredible as the duo of Lillard and Antetokounmpo could be, there is no doubt that Lillard belongs in the Pacific Northwest.
