Damian Lillard traded to Milwaukee: How it affects the Bucks’ NBA Championship odds

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The Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trailblazers, and Phoenix Suns have agreed on a blockbuster deal that sends Damian Lillard to the Bucks while Deandre Ayton and Jrue Holiday join the Trailblazers.

The headlining piece of the deal is Lillard, a seven-time All-NBA selection and seven-time All-Star, moving to Milwaukee. The first to report on the swap was ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Portland receives the players mentioned above, along with Toumani Camara, the Bucks’ 2029 first-round draft selection, and more draft capital in 2028 and 2030. The Suns receive Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson.

With Portland in no standing to compete for an NBA Championship, Lillard requested a trade to a contender in July. Two months later, his wish was granted.

Milwaukee is in the top tier of the NBA Championship odds market, including the Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, and Suns. The Bucks started the day at the back of the pack, but have jumped the line thanks to the Lillard deal.

With Holiday packing his bags for Portland, Lillard forms an impressive trio with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. The Bucks had a disappointing 2022-2023 season that ended with a 4-1 first-round playoff exit vs. the Miami Heat.

Adding a playmaker like Lillard will make life easier for Antetokounmpo and Middleton, who were responsible for shouldering the workload offensively.

Despite being 33 years old and entering his 12th NBA season, Dame remains one of the association’s most prolific scorers. Lillard averaged a career-high 32 points per game last year, plus seven assists and four rebounds.

The former Weber State Wildcat had a miraculous 71-point performance vs. the Houston Rockets. This tied Donovan Mitchell for the highest single-game scoring output last season.

Giannis hasn’t been shy about his hopes to play for teams competing for rings, and that’s exactly the position Milwaukee is in with the acquisition of Lillard. It was rumored that Antetokounmpo would see how the upcoming season played out and possibly demand a trade if another early-round playoff exit happened.

The Bucks’ roster was already in good shape before the trade, but adding a superstar like Lillard furthers the team’s NBA Championship prospects.

Milwaukee’s 116 points per game were the eighth-most in the NBA a season ago. Expect the Bucks’ offense to flourish with Lillard at PG while he, Giannis, and Middleton can rely on one another to score in the regular season, leaving plenty left in the tank come playoff time.

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