Point guard Damian Lillard’s underwhelming stint as forward Giannis Antetokounmpo’s co-star on the Milwaukee Bucks is over.
The Bucks recently opted to waive Lillard in order to make room for big man Myles Turner, who was key to the Indiana Pacers’ memorable run in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Lillard spent the last two seasons in a Bucks uniform after the Portland Trail Blazers dealt him to Milwaukee ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, but according to NBA insider Tim MacMahon, Lillard never wanted to be in Milwaukee.
“Dame never wanted to be in Milwaukee. He was a pro & tried to make the best of it. He didn't want to be there. He had to like actively try to make sure he wasn't miserable. And now; hey, if he still wants to get to Miami, that's probably going to be on the table.” @espn_macmahon https://t.co/r2ztaWBCY7 pic.twitter.com/TTpJrB1nia
— Dru (@dru_star) July 2, 2025
Before Lillard got traded, his original wish was to be sent to the Miami Heat, but the Blazers didn’t make that happen. As trade talks between the Heat and Blazers stalled, Lillard expanded his list and named the Bucks and Brooklyn Nets as teams he had interest in joining, per a 2023 report.
Sources to @andscape: With Miami talks going nowhere, agent Aaron Goodwin privately told the Bucks and Nets 10 days ago that Dame would be interested in a deal there. The Raptors were a real contender to land the ex-Blazers star, but ultimately Bucks got it done per Woj report.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) September 27, 2023
The Bucks’ decision to trade for Lillard made sense at the time, as he and Antetokounmpo made for a tantalizing duo on paper, and Antetokounmpo had arguably never played with a floor general more talented than Lillard. However, the move ultimately aged poorly, even before factoring in Lillard being waived.
Milwaukee wasn’t able to parlay Lillard and Antetokounmpo’s time as a duo into a championship or anything close to that, as the Bucks didn’t even win a single playoff series in the two seasons with them leading the way.
In addition, Lillard suffered an Achilles injury in the opening round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs and might not be able to take the floor for another team for a while. There are still several teams allegedly interested in inking Lillard to a deal “sooner rather than later,” though, and those interested squads include the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
While Lillard didn’t live up to expectations in a Bucks jersey, perhaps his recovery from his Achilles injury will go smoother than expected, in which case he might be able to return in time for a run in the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
