Bucks executive speaks out on eating Damian Lillard's contract

Damian Lillard was supposed to give Giannis Antetokounmpo the star running mate he needs on the Milwaukee Bucks. The hope was that between them, they would become the most feared duo in the Eastern Conference. 

Yet, the Bucks never got close to sniffing success during Lillard's two-season tenure with the franchise. Perhaps that was part of the reason why the front office felt so comfortable moving on from the nine-time All-Star. 

On July 7, the Bucks took the rare step of waiving Lillard and stretching the remaining $103 million over the next five years. That means the franchise will have approximately $22.5 million in dead cap space on the books until 2030. 

According to an anonymous front office executive, who recently spoke with Keith Smith of Spotrac, the Bucks did what they thought was best to continue building around Giannis.

“That was really, really hard. Dame is such a great player and we’re all thrilled that he landed back home in Portland,” The Bucks executive said. “It’s also hard to take that kind of cap hit in immovable salary for a long time. But when you have Giannis (Antetokounmpo), you have to be willing to do what it takes to win and maximize your time with him.”

Waiving and stretching a player so soon after he suffered an Achilles tendon tear is terrible optics. Milwaukee's reputation amongst players around the NBA likely took a hit.

Furthermore, the dead cap space will limit the franchise's flexibility for the next five years. So, if things with Myles Turner don't go as planned, Milwaukee will find itself backed into a corner. Parting ways with Lillard, while absorbing over $100 million in dead cap space, really is the last dice roll of the Giannis era. 

If things don't work out over the next season or two, Giannis may be forced to look elsewhere in the NBA. Milwaukee was already struggling to retool the rotation around him. Now, another pivot would be near impossible. Still, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take, and for Milwaukee, this was a calculated risk worth making. 

Let's see how it plays out.