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Damian Lillard watched Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals. The “Greek Freak” without Khris Middleton throughout the series, forced the full-strength Celtics to a winner-take-all decider.
The loss to the Celtics left most basketball fans claiming that had the Bucks been healthy, Antetokounmpo would have been back in the conference finals. When Lillard was asked on Twitter by a fan about the player he would want to help most win a championship, “Dame” calmly replied:
(4:11 mark)
“I would pick Giannis [Antetokounmpo]”
The possibility of Lillard and Antetokounmpo teaming up looked like a fantasy. A year later, the impossible could become a reality.
Damian Lillard controversially demanded the Portland Trail Blazers to trade him to the Miami Heat. Lillard’s agent reportedly told interested teams that the point guard will only be looking to join Jimmy Butler and the reigning Eastern Conference champs.
Blazers GM Joe Cronin responded to those rumors by saying that the Blazers were willing to play the long game. They have Lillard under contract for multiple years and will only trade him for the right return. It has been three months since the “Dame Time” asked Portland to trade him and yet he remains in Rip City.
Marc J. Spears reported yesterday that there is a mystery team that’s involved in Lillard trade talks. Rumors have surfaced that that team could be none other than the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee’s offer to the Blazers couldn’t be any better than what the Miami Heat can package for the seven-time All-Star. And yet, Damian Lillard’s comments last year about helping Giannis Antetokounmpo win a championship have intrigued most fans.
The Bucks are limited in draft capital, even more so than the Heat. Milwaukee’s offer could be Jrue Holiday, MarJon Beauchamp, first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2010 and a first-round pick in 2029. Limited as their package will be, it will not stop the Bucks from trying if Lillard is willing to play with Antetokounmpo.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s desire to win a championship could see him play with Damian Lillard
Giannis Antetokounmpo put the Milwaukee Bucks front office in the spotlight. The two-time MVP recently said in an interview that he will not be in a hurry to sign an extension with the team that he led to the 2021 championship.
Antetokounmpo wants a clear indication that the Bucks are not complacent and that the team is still as committed as him to lifting another Larry O’Brien Trophy. If he can’t ascertain this, he clearly said that he's willing to leave Milwaukee.
The spotlight is now on the Bucks to do what they can to appease Giannis Antetokounmpo. Damian Lillard’s comments last season should give them a little hope that they might land one of the NBA’s elite scorers.
The basketball world will be watching if Antetokounmpo and Lillard could end up playing alongside each other.
