Damian Lillard and LeBron James Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Did LeBron James know Bucks were going to trade for Damian Lillard?

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 9/27/23

Damian Lillard was traded by the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a blockbuster three-team trade on Wednesday. One NBA superstar may have seen such a trade coming.

During last season’s draft to decide the All-Star teams, team captain LeBron James noticed that opposing captain Giannis Antetokounmpo veered from his typical behavior. Rather than select his Milwaukee Bucks teammate Jrue Holiday with the No. 1 pick, Antetokounmpo selected Lillard.

James was thrown for a loop.

Watch this moment from last season’s All-Star Draft.

Giannis picks Dame with his first pick instead of Jrue. LeBron smells fish and calls it out. pic.twitter.com/I1nQW9uwfj

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) September 27, 2023

“See, Giannis has changed this weekend. You know he always talk about loyalty, being loyal, all that stuff, right? So I knew for sure his first pick was going to be Jrue. So I don’t know what’s going on with Giannis,” James said while pointing a suspicious finger at Antetokounmpo.

James seemed to realize that Antetokounmpo was up to something. And James seemed to be exactly right.

In hindsight, Antetokounmpo may have been trying to send a message to Lillard and get his crush’s attention. Six months later, the move paid off.

When he requested a trade from Portland, Lillard was said to have been singularly focused on a trade to the Miami Heat, but he eventually accepted a deal to Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo drafting him first in the All-Star Game probably didn’t hurt relations between the two players. James recognized it before anyone else.

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

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