Bucks Zone

Report gives the Milwaukee Bucks an A- for trading for Damian Lillard

The Milwaukee Bucks are smelling like roses right now.

Jonas Panerio

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Giannis Antetokounmpo sounded the alarm, and the Milwaukee Bucks responded in the most impactful way possible: by getting seven-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA member Damian Lillard. “Dame Time” will be teaming up with the “Greek Freak,” forming a lethal duo that hasn’t been seen since Kevin Durant and Steph Curry played together in Golden State.

While the Bucks lost depth and draft capital in sending Jrue Holiday to Portland and Grayson Allen to Phoenix, the acquisition of Lillard sends a clear message to Giannis that Milwaukee’s front office is determined to help him win numerous championships.

Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey took a closer look a the trade and gave Milwaukee an A-. Here’s why.

Adding a perennial All-NBA player is huge

Giannis put the Bucks on notice last week when he expressed willingness to move to another team in a few years’ time if he feels that he and the team aren’t on the same page regarding winning. The trade for Lillard clearly puts Milwaukee in a tier on its own heading to the new season.

Lillard finished third in points per game last season with an average of 32.2 and was second in the offensive box plus/minus, underscoring his ability to create scoring opportunities. And though the Weber State product is getting up in age and has missed many games in his last two seasons, playing alongside Giannis means Dame won’t have to carry the bulk of the offensive load like he did in Portland.

“For the Bucks' purposes, his age isn't as daunting as it would've been for other teams. He just led the league in offensive estimated plus-minus (one of the most trusted catch-all metrics in NBA front offices). And Milwaukee is very much on the contenders' tier with him for the next couple years,” Bailey wrote.

Sublime fit

While some superstar pairings have become distractions, the Lillard-Giannis pairing should be a dream come true for NBA fans. With two of the league’s most dynamic scorers now on the same team, it’ll be hard to top their offensive output that promises to combine unselfish ball movement with firepower from deep. On paper, this is a near-perfect fit.

“The fit between Lillard and Giannis seems obvious, too. The former is one of the most dangerous way-behind-the-three-point-line threats of all time, which commands defensive attention 30-plus feet from the hoop,” Bailey said.

“The latter is a bullet train when he finds a slashing lane to exploit. The potential symbiosis here, especially when you factor in floor spacing from Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, should terrify most of the league's defenses.”

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO