Since being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, Damian Lillard has averaged 24.4 points and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three. In 2024-25, he’s actually converted 47.2 percent of his field goal attempts, which would be a career-high if the season ended today. With numbers like that, it’s only right that the Bucks are 49-27 when he plays. For reference, that’s a win percentage (.645) that would’ve ranked fifth in the NBA in 2023-24.
Yet, those numbers don’t paint the whole picture. The fit between Lillard and Bucks face of the franchise Giannis Antetokounmpo has left a lot to be desired. Rather than playing off of one another as originally intended, it’s a lot of ‘my turn, your turn.’ This lack of chemistry isn’t extremely problematic but it’s not ideal.
On top of that, Lillard’s defensive shortcomings have made Milwaukee vulnerable in ways they weren’t when they had Jrue Holiday or even Eric Bledsoe. Perhaps if NBA offenses were still run through centers, his job would be easier. However, in a league that emphasizes perimeter play, Lillard is a their defense’s weak link.
Players get by him too easily. He gets stuck on screens too often. His rotations aren’t crisp. He doesn’t have the burst or explosiveness to consistently recover.
Will Bucks’ Damian Lillard Be Moved By Trade Deadline?
While many have their eyes on Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat, Lillard is more likely to be dealt ahead of this season’s trade deadline. This has less to do with the Heat than the Bucks though. Both teams would likely prefer to see the season through before making such a dramatic change to their roster, but there’s more pressure on Milwaukee to do so.
Antetokounmpo, their best player, has repeatedly teased his willingness to leave the Bucks if they aren’t competitive enough. That being said, Antetokounmpo isn’t just any All-Star. He’s an NBA champion, two-time MVP, and the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year. He might not have as much influence as LeBron James or Stephen Curry, but Milwaukee knows they need to keep him happy because he’ll be pretty difficult to replace.
Lillard, who is a Hall of Fame player, isn’t going to be easy to replace either. However, a team will find the next Lillard before the next Antetokounmpo.
Potential Trade Partners
An in-season trade featuring Lillard will be tricky. As the Bucks are above the second apron, their options are limited. The problem is further exacerbated by Lillard’s $48.8 million salary. That being said, there are a number of players who they could legally trade for.
There’s framework for a trade that would bring them Terry Rozier, Nikola Jovic, Thomas Bryant, and Duncan Robinson from the Heat. In this deal, the Bucks drastically improve their point-of-attack defense with Rozier. Rozier, who has averaged 20.1 points per game since 2020-21, is also more comfortable playing second fiddle than Lillard.
If the Toronto Raptors are interested in accelerating their rebuild, then Lillard could catch their eye. In a hypothetical trade, Toronto sending over Immanuel Quickley, Chris Boucher, Bruno Fernando, and Garrett Temple is perfectly legal. Like Rozier, Quickley dramatically enhances their perimeter defense but is a respectable volume scorer too.
The Utah Jazz may be more motivated than either the Heat or Raptors to trade for Lillard.
Though they’re in a rebuild, Utah tried to acquire multiple stars this summer. Furthermore, the Jazz have terrible chemistry in their backcourt and need a change. By trading Collin Sexton, John Collins, and perhaps a little draft capital for Lillard, they fix a lot of problems. Meanwhile, the Bucks add a tenacious on-ball defender with scoring chops in Sexton.
