Bill Simmons rips ‘desperate, reckless’ Damian Lillard release

While some NBA analysts and personalities see the reason that the Bucks waived Damian Lillard, such as Brian Windhorst, Bill Simmons was totally against the move. On the latest episode of his eponymous podcast, Simmons, never one to mince words, believed that the release of Lillard was a move out of inspiration and ultimately a lose-lose situation since they have to keep the money on their books for the next five years.

“I thought what Milwaukee did was one of the most desperate, reckless moves that I could ever remember since I’ve been a basketball fan,” Simmons said. “I hated it. I don’t understand it. I think it’s a disaster. I didn’t approve of any single aspect of it. Carrying the Dame stretch thing for five years, Idiotic. Doing it for Myles Turner. I have no idea why they would do that. I just don’t understand why they wouldn’t have just traded Giannis. If it’s this desperate that you’re gonna pay for the next four years $47 million, $49 million, $50 million, and $51 million for Myles Turner. And then on top of that another $22 (million) in the fifth year when he’s not even on the team. If that’s the only recourse you have, if that’s how desperate you are to keep Giannis, I’m trading Giannis at that point.”

Simmons has shared many positive opinions about the Bucks over the past couple of years, influenced by his friendship with Doc Rivers. Still, he belives that the move is unnecessary as the Bucks likely won’t be contenders next year pending another move that will further bolster their roster with significant offensive firepower following the mid-season trade of Kris Middleton and Damian Lillard’s release.

His take runs counter to Brian Windhorst’s take on the latest episode of The Hoop Collective, who believed that the move made sense.

“Somebody explained how the Bucks could justify this,” Windhorst said on the episode. “So, Dame is on the books at $22 (million) and a half, let’s call it $23 (million). Miles Turner’s deal averages $27 million a year. So, basically for the next four years, it’s $50 million for the two of them. Okay. So this year Dame was on the cap for a little over $50 million and that was a blank spot on the cap. Maybe he comes back. Let’s just assume that he doesn’t. Maybe he does. But it’s $50 million you weren’t going to get production out of.”