Damian Lillard Reveals Truth About Being Waived After Bucks Say Otherwise

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dibyendu Mondal | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 5:38 PM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks insist they served proper notice to Damian Lillard and his camp before executing the decision to waive him.

The franchise stated publicly that Lillard was informed ahead of time, claiming the move was communicated internally and transparently. But Lillard himself paints a different picture.

He conveyed his side to X account BucksRealm. Though what Lillard explicitly said was not revealed, he clarified that Lillard found out the news along with everyone else.

“Despite reports surfacing around the league claiming otherwise, Bucks ownership did NOT notify Damian Lillard and his camp ahead of his release. The move was entirely unprompted, and Lillard found out along with the rest of us.” He posted on X.

This statement directly contradicts the Bucks’ assertion of prior notice, suggesting that Lillard learned of the decision in real time, possibly through media coverage or a team-wide announcement.

Waived under the stretch provision, allowing the Bucks to spread his remaining $113 million over five years and free up cap space to sign Myles Turner, Lillard’s departure triggered debate.

B/c y'all wont leave me alone. Yes, Dame messaged me directly to provide clarity. I am not here to do anything but cover this team to the best of my ability. I hope people will start to learn this in time.. Keeping his actual word private as I believe it's the right thing to do. pic.twitter.com/M2wsUHWtgJ
— BucksRealm (@BucksRealm) July 2, 2025

Beyond the communication breakdown, insider reports say Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was “not pleased” with how his partner was shown the door.

Yet, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne adds nuance that Antetokounmpo may have been aware of the plan to add Turner and even felt “excited” about the frontcourt addition.

His public reaction was telling. He posted a simple message on X saying, “I don’t know what’s going on right now”, underscoring how surprised he was by timing and delivery.

While he reportedly supports adding Turner to complement his playstyle, that doesn’t negate his displeasure with the sudden waiver of Lillard.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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