Damian Lillard's Agent Takes Swipe at Bucks After Stunning Divorce

By all accounts, there was never really any bad blood between star guard Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks, nor was there tension between Lillard and star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. But within the team, there was no doubt that the fit was just not a natural one, that the team would always play a style befitting Antetokounmpo--the Bucks' franchise player--even at the expense of Lillard.

There were no smashed chalkboards or argumentative meetings. But that was the source of tension in Milwaukee, where Lillard came in during the late summer of 2023 as a franchise player himself, with Portland, who had seven NBA All-Star appearances under his belt.

It was not until the Bucks took the shocking step of waiving Lillard after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the playoffs, and stretching the remaining $113 million over the next five years, that his agent, Aaron Goodwin, finally unburdened himself about just how uncomfortable things were with the Bucks.

Damian Lillard Did Not 'Have an Opportunity' With Bucks

Speaking to ESPN, Goodwin said Lillard was always playing a style that did not fit him with the Bucks.

"He never really had an opportunity to play as he has played the first 12 years of his career," Goodwin said. "He played to win in the system that he was in."