Ten days ago, Aaron Goodwin — Damian Lillard‘s agent — privately informed the Bucks and Nets that his client would be interested in joining Milwaukee or Brooklyn, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). Spears also writes that the Raptors were a “real contender” for Lillard, who will reportedly land with the Bucks.
Appearing on 590 The FAN, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca described the Raptors’ pursuit of Lillard as being less than full throttle.
“There was always interest, determination to try to get a deal but they wanted to see if they could, knowing them, without having to give up everything,” Grange said (Twitter link).
As for the Bucks, they discretely began inquiring about Lillard a couple weeks ago, league sources tell Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Goodwill writes that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard will be under a lot of pressure to bring another title to Milwaukee after going all-in, and losing Jrue Holiday‘s defense shouldn’t be ignored.
Why would Milwaukee appeal to Lillard? In addition to being on a title contender and playing with two-time MVP and 2021 Finals MVP Antetokounmpo, Lillard will also participate in more nationally televised games (19) than any other season in his career, notes Nate Jones (via Twitter), another of Lillard’s agents.
Here’s more on the three-team blockbuster between the Bucks, Trail Blazers and Suns:
- In grading the deal, Kevin Pelton of ESPN (Insider link) gives both Milwaukee and Portland a B-plus, while Phoenix receives a B-minus. Pelton likes the addition of Nassir Little more for the Suns than Jusuf Nurkic, noting Nurkic’s injury history, inefficiency inside the arc and lack of mobility. Zach Harper of The Athletic has identical grades for the Suns and Blazers, but is more bullish on the Bucks’ side of the deal, giving Milwaukee an A.
- Both Bill Oram of The Oregonian (subscriber link) and Mark Medina of Sportsnaut argue that the deal is a win-win for Portland and Lillard.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks provides his breakdown of the deal (YouTube link). As Marks notes, Lillard’s long-term deal is actually an insurance policy of sorts for the Bucks, since Holiday can become a free agent next summer if he turns down his player option.
- Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (Twitter link) thinks it’s inevitable that Holiday — who is heading to Portland from Milwaukee as part of the deal — will eventually be traded. However, keeping him until the trade deadline isn’t a bad option, according to Highkin, as more teams might pursue the veteran guard during the season once more players become trade-eligible.
- Don’t expect the Raptors to pursue Holiday, tweets Grange. Toronto was interested in Lillard’s elite half-court offense, while Holiday isn’t on the same level at that end of the court.
- Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (Twitter link) argues the Magic should pursue Holiday, while Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post believes the Knicks should trade for the All-Defensive guard, writing that head coach Tom Thibodeau would love to have him. “Thibs and Jrue,” a longtime NBA executive texted Vaccaro, “is a marriage made in basketball heaven.”
- ESPN’s panel of insiders answer big questions after the massive trade, while Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports provides three takeaways from the Suns’ perspective.
Jrue Holliday defense is really good, but it is not worth that $35+million alone. He wasn’t a great scorer and playmaker in the playoffs last year. When Giannis went down he really needed to be able to boost his averages and get others involved. He didn’t take pressure off Middleton. Jimmy was also cooking them so the defense didn’t matter to limit that.
He will be a hot commodity come playoff time and I could see a team needing to get over the hump trading young players and draft picks for him.
No doubt another team will want him. I just believe his time and potential with Bucks was tapped out. They couldn’t get better with him, I think Dame will help in the pressure. Defense wise Bucks still have Giannis and Lopez, Middleton is decent, Project Pat hustles. They were a top 5 defense when Bledsoe was there. They will be fine on defense with Dame.
Solid take dude.
It’s not a bad gamble. One of those deals where even if you disagree with it and things don’t work out, you can understand the thought process to a certain extent.
With that said, to be fair, if Giannis goes down/plays hurt again, the Bucks will end up in the same boat even with Lillard. I don’t think it’s too much of an indictment against Jrue that he wasn’t able to shoulder that burden in those circumstances.
The trade doesn’t really improve the Bucks as a whole. Makes them better offensively but much weaker defensively. Depending on the matchups it can help them or hurt them.
It mainly opens up the floor for Giannis. Its going to come down to who do you double team?
Yea, but it also opens up the floor on the other side. Now Giannis gotta work twice as hard on defense. Everyone gonna be blowing by lillard
I mean, they have Lopez who is a DPOY level guy. They will be fine. The league is all about scoring anyway. Not many actually lockdown 100% of the game. We also never saw Dame on an actual defensive team.
Perimeter defense got weaker in a perimeter league. Holiday isn’t the player you look to for carrying a team – his role is defense and facilitation with some perimeter shooting. He checked all those boxes. Dame has offense, no doubt, and will open things up for Giannis, but I just wonder if the trade off is significant enough to get them in the finals.
Nuggets won with Murray ( not a lick better a defender then dame ) as their point of attack defender L that said bucks don’t have a kcp , Gordon or the since departed brown ! LopeZ is a good rim protector the real pressure is on Middleton to get back to being a plus wing defender
They’re taking a risk by shaking things up but they were sort of also rans, top 3 in the east and didn’t separate themselves. Now they have HIM. A guy with the game on the line who can win it for you.
Yea, don’t disagree with the move. If I was Milwaukee, I would have rather moved Middleton instead.
Yes true but from Portland’s perspective they wouldn’t accept Middleton and do the trade. Blazers pick up Holiday and he’ll get you two firsts or a young guy and a first. Middleton won’t.
Remember what Portland wanted out of a Damian Lillard trade originally. Moving Jrue helps it happen.
I liken Middleton to Klay Thompson. 34 years old, can still do it, but injury history and big dollars.
Middleton is younger and less money than holiday
The last time the Bucks got taken by the Heat they shook things up by trading for Holiday then proceeded to win a championship, now 3 seasons later they once again got taken out by the Heat so they shook things up by trading Holiday for Lillard which is the guy Giannis picked first over him in the All-Star draft.
We can reasonably assume Giannis gave his blessing at minimum, so the fans are left to wonder if there was any, *ahem* shenanigans…
Under normal conditions and not coming off injury Middleton can win a game for you as well.
Overall Dame does might the defense worse, you also have to take into account that even though I’m not a fan but when Allen’s not trying to injure people he’s a good defender as well. The Bucks are hoping that blowing by Lillard isn’t as big of deal when you get past him and have Brook Lopez or Giannis there to meet you.
Lillard definitely upgrades the offense though.
Overall I like the trade because Dame gets the hell up outta Portland and has a decent shot at a ring.
Have to give Por an A….man that felt weird to type
If G’s good with it, I am, far as Mil .. I’m sure they asked
Phx – They really didn’t like Ayton, lotta times the internal smoke you hear can be overcome and possibly overplayed by the media
Its pretty obv the PHX FO was in lock step with the Phx crowds who where giving Jock Lawndale standing ovations at Aytons expense while they were fighting for their playoff lives last year. Cant say I disagree, we are only human
I would give Portland an A because they landed Ayton. Unless PHX knows something we don’t, and if that’s the case the POR got bamboozled and it’s no longer an A. I guess time will tell
Jrue will get moved on from Portland they don’t need him obviously in a rebuild with Scoot Simons and Sharpe
New York would be a great landing spot
He’d be a great veteran leader for Brunson and Randle. They could also do with Jrue’s defence next to Brunson. They can easily give up RJ and maybe throw away Fouriner for salary matching in the process.
Jrue Holiday for RJ Barrett, Evan Fouriner and a protected first
Another good spot could be Orlando
Jrue helping their young guards develop Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black. While also being a leader and helping Paolo and Franz lead this team.
Jrue Holiday for Fultz, Isaacs and 2 firsts
If they can’t find a deal and are prepared to wait then maybe Charlotte. Jrue helping LaMelo Ball in the backcourt. Terry moves into a sixth man role.
Portland grab a bunch of good young players
Jrue Holiday for Gordan Hayward, Miles Bridges, James Bouknight and 2 firsts or something like that
I can’t see Portland swapping 1 guy who doesn’t fit their timeline for 2 who also don’t, although Fournier’s deal might be expiring. Agreed he would be a good fit for the Knicks, just not sure what the deal would be.
RJ Barrett is only 23 he’s definitely on theirs timeline whatcha talking about? Fourienrs just expiring money which is fine for a rebuilding team taking back a first round pick aswell
Knicks could but I don’t believe they would include RJ. Maybe Grimes. They can include another pick.
Orlando have so many young guys, I don’t think they are going to push to take Jrue. The move also screws Fultz, he has played well, its just no one watches Orl to know that. Portland would have him off bench because they need to play young guys.
Charlotte will not include all of that because they are no where near a contender. Hayward, Bouknight, and highly protected 1st with a swap.
Portland will not get what Nola got when Mil made the trade.
Nah I don’t expect them to get back a bunch for him but I wouldn’t write all those deals off.
Jrue Holiday fits NY so well whereas RJ doesn’t really fit much at all so I think they’d definitely make that deal especially if they can clear Fouriner aswell.
Orlando have so many young guards they don’t need Fultz although I have seen he’s been doing alright. Think he’d be fine as the back up in Portland and Jrue would be great in going alongside Cole/Suggs/Black. He’d also help Paolo and Franz out a bunch and they’d go from decent young side to play-in/playoff side overnight.
Charlotte definitely long way off the pace from contenders but they aren’t the smartest franchise either. They also have a bunch of forwards, and a bunch of below average young kids and could really do with a veteran leader especially someone who sets the tone on defence. Ball Jrue Miller Washington … would be solid
@simm – So the Knicks wouldn’t have a starting small forward and just stock yet another guard with Brunson, IQ, Grimes, Hart, Donte, and McBride.
This sounds like backpedaling bs from Goodwin. What are the chances that the team Lillard now has to play for was actually on his super secret list no one knew about this whole time? How convenient.
Milwaukee had their best roster last year, but poor rotation decisions cost them. They got slightly worse in this deal. They’re still obviously really good though. They’ll likely play Lopez too much again, and be relatively similar, but it will depend on matchups. Probably better offensively, depending on how they play
Phoenix did an impressive job of not only moving Ayton, but getting pieces they can use, that they probably needed. As I said previously, they won this deal, in my opinion
Portland got the same deal they were offered from Miami, minus a pick or 2 to account for the difference of Lowry-Jrue, and got rid of Little’s contract, but also took on Ayton at more money/years than Nurkic, and someone I don’t see as a fit there. They basically moved Grayson Allen, Keon Johnson, Little, Nurkic for Ayton, which I don’t think necessarily did much, but give the appearance of them adding a named player, to attempt to quell people from crying about the return.
Ultimately, I think this went how I thought it would. They should have just held Lillard, and tried again to move Simons after a couple of months of him coming off the bench. Orlando would have made some sense for him
Heat also win here by not making a bad trade they didn’t need to make. I could see some interest in somehow turning Lowry into Jrue though, but not at the expense of too many assets, the same way I thought previously. Jrue makes more sense than Lillard would, but he is still Ultimately a guard
Would love to see Holiday end up in NYC. A deal including Barrett, Fournier, Mc Bride, Dallas’ 2024 protected 1st and either another protected pick or pick swap should work for both teams.
Portland has a plan. I’m liking it. Ayton, Murray, Grant, Holiday, Henderson, Sharpe, Simmons.
Younger. Improved defense. Potential to move Holiday and Simmons for more picks or another young piece. May not win in the next couple of years, but certainly has potential.