□ I’m not sure how much this changes their thinking or planning around Giannis (with one significant exception I’ll get to momentarily). 1 long-term target.Īs for Toronto, who knows what to believe anymore as far as what Masai Ujiri is or isn’t willing to do? There was some talk yesterday about their unwillingness to offer up OG Anunoby to Toronto, but if they weren’t willing to trade Anunoby, what else were they really offering? They remain a perplexing NBA subplot as the rest of the league does business south of the border.Īnd of course we have the Knicks, who, while never in on Lillard themselves, were always bound to be impacted by the repercussions of his eventual destination. Then again, maybe they never thought another serious suitor would emerge, let alone the team with perhaps their No. Is that because they’re keeping their powder dry for a bigger fish further out in the ocean? Considering how Dame would have been a perfect fit, it’s fair to ask. Miami, according to reporting that emerged both before and after the trade went down, was simply unwilling to increase what they would offer Portland, whatever or whoever that might have been. (Feel free to check out Tuesday’s piece on the underrated value of pick swaps.) After that, the future becomes incredibly uncertain, with not only another unprotected first, but two unprotected swaps out the window. Now, barring something unforeseen, they be in the hunt until 2025. Obviously, there is risk - Lillard aging fast and/or Giannis bolting in two years - but clearly the Bucks looked at the alternative of half-assing the next one or two seasons and felt that trying to have their cake and eat it too would result in empty stomachs across the state of Wisconsin. For Antetokounmpo, maybe this is all that his summer chirping was about: putting pressure on Milwaukee to make the BIG move that would vault them back into undisputed favorite status in the East, if not the league. Lillard gets to compete for a title with perhaps his ideal star counterpart - someone who will still allow him to have the ball in his hands nearly as much as he’s used to. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but combining one flight risk (Giannis) with another guy who had his sights set on another city (Dame) might wind up placating both players. After a summer’s worth of assuming he’d end up with the Miami Heat, and then about a week’s worth of rumblings that the Raptors were getting involved, Damian Lillard is off to Milwaukee, instantly forming one of the best two-man combos in the league and among the best trios if Khris Middleton is fully recovered.įor the Bucks, the calculation is pretty simple.
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