Apr 22, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) dribbles the ball while Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) defends during game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Bucks Considered Trading Damian Lillard Before He Got Hurt: Report

Originally posted on Milwaukee Bucks on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 3:15 PM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks took a big swing by bringing in Damian Lillard before the start of the 2023-24 season. They were hoping he could take their offense to a new level.

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Unfortunately, the fit just didn't work with him in Milwaukee. While he was still able to score at a pretty good clip, his defense was so much worse than what the Bucks had with Jrue Holiday.

Once he tore his Achilles in the first round of the playoffs, the Bucks had made their decision to move off of him. According to a recent report, the Bucks looked at moving him before that injury.

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The Milwaukee Bucks considered trading Damian Lillard at the trade deadline

Milwaukee was considering a lot of moves at the trade deadline this past season, including trading Damian Lillard and ending the experiment, according to ESPN.

The Bucks also thought about trying to bring in a center to overtake Brook Lopez as the starter and making moves around the fringes of the roster.

Instead of moving Lillard, the Bucks decided to trade Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma. That move was a disaster as well, as Kuzma was not able to do much of anything in the playoffs.

Looking back at it now, the Bucks absolutely should have traded Lillard during the season. They would have been able to actually get something back for him instead of waiving him and keeping $22.5 million on their books for the next five seasons.

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The Damian Lillard trade will haunt the Milwaukee Bucks forever

This isn't a trade that will only haunt them for a few years, but it will haunt them forever. The cap implications that this trade will have on the team will last until Giannis Antetokounmpo is out of his prime.

Had they never made this move, they could have kept Holiday as a solid defensive piece and looked to improve the roster by making another trade elsewhere on the roster, perhaps at wing or center.

This past season, Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game.