Milwaukee Bucks trade grades for Damian Lillard deal Wisconsin News
The dust has settled and, yes, Damian Lillard is a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The national response to Milwaukee’s trade for Lillard has been, for the most part, full of praise.
With that immediate reaction comes the grading of the deal and that, too, for the most part, is full of praise. The Bucks are dean’s list worthy (although not in all eyes).
We gathered some of the grades found around web on the big three-team trade and how the Bucks fared and present them below. Enjoy (and if you’re a Bucks fan, you probably will).
Rohan Nadkarni of SI.com: A+. “This is a home run move. It proves to Giannis the Bucks are serious about remaining a title contender, and it’s impressively nimble work from a front office that didn’t appear to have many options. Yes, Milwaukee will have depth concerns, but the trio of Lillard, Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton is the class of the East. Both Lillard and Antetokounmpo now have the best running mate of their careers. And with Lillard locked up long term, there’s reason to believe Giannis will want to stick around in Milwaukee as well. It’s a great trade for now and the future.”
James Herbert of CBSSports.com: B+.
Stephen Noh of Sporting News: A. “The Bucks should be the favorites to come out of the East after this move.”
Ricky O’Donnell of SB Nation: A. “This is the type of bold move Milwaukee needed to make. Lillard is an incredible pull-up shooter, a dynamic downhill threat attacking the rim, and a capable playmaker. The Bucks finished No. 12 in offensive efficiency and No. 4 in defensive efficiency last year. Those rankings may flip this year, but improving their scoring punch is a better bet for playoff basketball. New head coach Adrian Griffin suddenly faces a ton of pressure to figure out the rotation and keep co-stars Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton healthy late into the season. Milwaukee is probably now the favorites in the East. The Bucks are in full-on championship-or-bust mode with so many future picks and pick swaps out the door. Milwaukee’s commitment to Giannis deserves to be applauded. Now they have to win another championship, otherwise, Antetokounmpo could still soon be out the door and their future could be ruined.”
Robert Zeglinski of For the Win: A+. “Milwaukee was already considered an elite title contender before it dealt for Lillard. Many will paint them as the rightful favorites to unseat the reigning champion Denver Nuggets now.”
Zach Harper of The Athletic ($): A. “This move gives the Bucks a weapon they haven’t had next to Giannis and Khris Middleton. Holiday was amazing and integral to them winning a title, but we’ve often seen Milwaukee relying on his shot-making in clutch moments when Middleton and Antetokounmpo are swarmed by the defense. It’s produced mixed results. Lillard is one of the most clutch players of his generation and a threat to 40 feet. Opponents, especially in the playoffs, have to truly pick their poison. The Bucks defense suffers going from Holiday to Lillard, but their half-court offense should improve enough to still allow them to be elite. What a tremendous pull by Milwaukee.”
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report: A-. “Some of the things holding this back from being an A or A+ have been talked about all summer. If the Bucks don't win a championship soon, Lillard's contract could age poorly. In six or seven years, Milwaukee could really want all that draft capital back. And while Lillard does raise the team's ceiling, Holiday has had an overwhelmingly positive impact in the regular season. Losing his defense and playmaking, as well as Grayson Allen's shooting, hurts the team's depth. And for an older squad, reliable depth is important.”
Chinmay Vaidya of DraftKings: A. “There’s been some rumblings about Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee, but this should quiet that noise. Lillard gives the Bucks a huge upgrade at the point guard position and a true second star, something they clearly needed in the playoffs if anything were to happen to the Greek Freak. Not giving up Khris Middleton is big, and keeping Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis is also important. The first-round picks down the line are largely irrelevant for Milwaukee, who is in championship mode.”
Rich Bucher, Melissa Rohlin and Yaron Weitzman of FOXSports.com: Bucher – C. “The issue the Bucks face hasn't changed — their core is old, outside of Giannis. Who is it, two years from now, that convinces Giannis he should stay in Milwaukee to keep as a teammate? And if Middleton can't stay healthy, their perimeter defense goes from formidable to questionable.”; Rohlin -- A+. “Antetokounmpo and Lillard on the same court is the stuff of nightmares for defenses. Nowhere on that court will be safe. Every square-inch must be guarded. This should be fun. And although the Bucks lost an incredible defender in Holiday, they still have elite defenders in Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez, so they should be able to compensate for that hit.”; Weitzman – A+. “The Bucks' primary goal is to win a title, but more than that, it's keeping Giannis happy so he re-signs. This should get the Bucks closer to that place.”
Joey Mistretta of Clutch Points: A. “There isn't a clear loser in this trade. The winner is Milwaukee, as their championship odds increased by acquiring Damian Lillard.”
Donald Stewart of Last Word On Sports: A. “Milwaukee has likely extended its championship window. Giannis heavily desired to play with Lillard, so this is an ideal fit. Their styles should mesh perfectly in terms of spacing. Giannis can continue to dominate in the paint like no one else, with Dame providing ideal spacing on the floor for Giannis to slash to the rim. This also adds further spacing for former All-Star Khris Middleton and the excellent stretch-5 Brook Lopez.”
Matt Issa of Opta Analyst: A+. “This isn’t hard. The Bucks aren’t a perfect team now. They’re certainly a playoff team, but they aren’t a lock to win the NBA title next season. They still have serious question marks (namely age and two-way depth). But guess what? They had all those problems before getting the best player in this deal. Now, they also have Lillard, who averaged a career-high 32.2 points, 7.3 assists and was a third-team All-NBA selection last year. Holiday is an incredible two-way guard and All-Star caliber player, but he still isn’t Lillard. If Lillard keeps the same pace he was at last year (fifth in the league in our DRIP metric), he’ll give two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo the best running co-star he’s ever had. Oh, and by the way, they also still have 15-point-per-game scorers Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. I bet Giannis isn’t questioning the direction of the franchise now.”
Vincent Frank of Sportsnaut: A.
