In a shocking twist, the Milwaukee Bucks have decided to waive and stretch Damian Lillard's remaining $113 million salary. That move cleared the way for Milwaukee to land coveted center Myles Turner. Despite this, superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is "not pleased with the team's decision to waive Lillard," according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
To make matters worse, Bucks general manager Jon Horst reportedly made this significant move without consulting Giannis beforehand. Having a disgruntled superstar isn't an ideal position for any team to be in, but it's especially problematic if you're Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Bucks continue to implode
The Bucks have given Giannis every reason to request a trade by constructing a team that has continually been collapsing ever since their 2021 championship. Swapping out an aging Brook Lopez for Turner, who largely disappeared in this year's Finals, is too much of a lateral move when, in reality, Milwaukee needed a significant roster overhaul.
Yes, Lillard's unfortunate Achilles injury put them in a vulnerable position after going all-in in hopes that the Dame-Giannis pairing would be enough to compensate for glaring roster weaknesses.
But you're not even running this by the one player for whom the entire NBA world is already speculating a trade because it makes too much logical sense for him to want out?
Joe Cronin's bet against Milwaukee keeps paying off
The good news for Blazers fans is that Milwaukee's loss could potentially be Portland's gain in more ways than one. In the short term, the Blazers could look to bring back Lillard, who is now an unrestricted free agent. But this could also create ripple effects that ultimately lead to the Blazers landing a better draft pick because of the Lillard trade.
The Blazers have first-round swap rights with the Bucks in 2028 and 2030. They also received Milwaukee's first-round pick in 2029. As part of the Deni Avdija trade, the Blazers sent over the second-most favorable of the first-rounders in 2029 between Portland, Boston, and Milwaukee to Washington.
It's hard to see the Celtics bottoming out by then, especially after they just made moves to alleviate some of their cap burden (in part thanks to the Blazers sending them Anfernee Simons' expiring deal). The Blazers' young core will collectively be in their prime by then, meaning that it is hopefully a late first-round pick as well.
In some ways, the Avdija deal was Portland doubling down on its bet against Milwaukee. That already looks like a worthwhile gamble with the Bucks' aging roster. But with each Giannis development, the Blazers get closer to a position where they benefit drastically.