Damian Lillard

Bucks Notes: Lillard, Holiday, Middleton, Fifth Starter

October 4th, 2023 at 8:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Damian Lillard said it’s “definitely different” to see himself in a Bucks uniform after 11 seasons with the Trail Blazers. The week since the trade was finalized has been a whirlwind for Lillard, who flew into Milwaukee on Saturday, participated in media day on Monday and worked out with his new teammates for the first time on Tuesday.

Lillard, who was given a break from practice on Wednesday, said the idea of being with a new organization really hit him for the first time Saturday night after the introductions, his physical and a video were all complete.

“And then by the time I got back to the spot and I was sitting there by myself,” he said. “I kind of just took it all in and just thought about all the different moving parts of it. And that was when I was just like, ‘Man, this is where I’m supposed to be. This is what it’s supposed to be.’ And in that moment, I just settled in with it.”

Lillard insisted that he doesn’t harbor any bitterness toward anyone from the Blazers, even though his exit was more contentious than he wanted it to be. He confirmed that the opportunity to go to Milwaukee cropped up about two weeks ago and said agent Aaron Goodwin supported it as “the best basketball situation.”

Lillard also expressed excitement about the chance to team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo, a player he has long admired for his competitiveness and work ethic.

“When I hear him speak and how he goes about his business, he speaks my language,” Lillard said. “He goes about it in the way that I’ve always done it. And for me to be able to coexist, I think that’s the kind of person that it would mesh best with.”

There’s more from Milwaukee:

At Monday’s media day, general manager Jon Horst talked about how difficult it was to part with Jrue Holiday, but he believed the team had to react when the chance arose to acquire Lillard, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Holiday was an integral part of the 2021 title team and a beloved member of the community. “In the same breath, we’re really excited about this team, the change that’s happening, the way we’re going to play and hopefully the dominance that we’re going to play with,” Horst said. “It’s a great opportunity for this organization, and we’re really excited about it.”
Coach Adrian Griffin gave evasive answers when asked about the status of Khris Middleton, who wasn’t a full participant at today’s practice, Nehm tweets. Griffin wouldn’t say whether it’s a knee issue that is limiting Middleton – who underwent knee surgery in the spring – and didn’t commit to having him ready for the season opener.
The Bucks have several options to fill the starting spot that opened up when Grayson Allen was sent to Phoenix in the Lillard trade, notes Jim Owczarski of The Journal Sentinel. Owczarski examines what Malik Beasley, MarJon Beauchamp and Pat Connaughton would each bring to the starting lineup.

Raptors Notes: Rajakovic, Lillard, Siakam, VanVleet

October 3rd, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

The arrival of new Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic looks like a reason for optimism in Toronto, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says that Rajakovic is bringing a “people-first” approach to his new role and appears to be connecting quickly with his players.

Scottie Barnes said on Monday that he loves the “energy” and “joy” Rajakovic brings to the job, while Gary Trent Jr. told reporters that the coach’s communication has been “great,” noting that Rajakovic is interested in talking to his players about topics beyond basketball.

“I’ve been in the NBA six years and I’ve had more conversations with him (outside of basketball) than with any coach I’ve ever had,” Trent said, per Lewenberg. “It’s been refreshing.”

The start of Rajakovic’s first NBA head coaching job has been marred to some extent by a lawsuit filed by the Knicks which claims that a former Knick employee shared proprietary information with Rajokovic and the Raptors after being hired by the franchise. The Raptors, who issued a statement in August disputing the claims in the suit, downplayed the case again on Monday, as William Lou of Sportsnet.ca writes.

“I know who I am. I know how my parents raised me. I know what I see in the mirror,” Rajakovic said in maintaining his innocence. “I cannot wait for this lawsuit to be over so everyone can see the truth.”

Here’s more out of Toronto:

Speaking to Danielle Michaud of Sportsnet, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster confirmed that the team’s interest in Damian Lillard was real. “You’d have to ask (the Trail Blazers),” Webster said when asked how close Toronto got to landing Lillard. “We were very aggressive. I’d say probably the biggest offer we’ve ever made for a player, but it’s up to them to accept it and so I think that’s, you know, you kind of never know what tilted a deal towards you or not. But maybe time will tell, we’ll find out.”
Pascal Siakam pushed back against any implication that he might have been one of the Raptors who played selfishly last season, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays. “I’ll speak for me, personally, I’ve never been a selfish player in my life,” Siakam said. “I’ve always played the game the right way and that’s from the first time I started playing basketball. I’ve always been a team player. All the things that I do on the basketball court is about the team and I’ve been like that my whole career.”
The free agency departure of veteran point guard Fred VanVleet was one of the topics Raptors president Masai Ujiri addressed on Monday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “Could we have traded Fred at the trade deadline? If that was a failure, we take responsibility for it,” Ujiri said. “Sometimes it depends on opportunity and respect (for) the player. We respected Fred. Fred decided to go somewhere, to better opportunities. It was good for him. Maybe it was good for us, too.”
The Raptors are one of five teams that John Hollinger of The Athletic is confident will beat their consensus over/under (36.5 wins) this season. While Hollinger acknowledges that going to VanVleet to Dennis Schröder is a downgrade at point guard, he notes that Toronto won 41 games in a down year last season, played better after acquiring Jakob Poeltl, and will have incentive to be as good as possible, since San Antonio owns the Raptors’ top-six protected 2024 first-round pick.

Giannis “Happy” With Lillard Trade, Bucks’ Commitment

October 2nd, 2023 at 1:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo made it very clear this offseason that he wanted the organization to be as committed to winning as he was in order to sign a long-term deal with Milwaukee.

While Antetokounmpo still has no plans to sign an extension in 2023 (he can make far more money if he waits until next offseason), he says he’s “happy” following the Bucks’ blockbuster trade for All-NBA guard Damian Lillard.

“Big trade having Dame here,” he said, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). “We added another level to our team…They’ve shown they’re committed to winning a championship. I’m happy.”

“I want to be a Milwaukee Buck for the rest of the my career, as long as we are winning…the commitment from the team for me, is there,” Antetokounmpo added, according to ESPN’s Jamal Collier (Twitter link).

Here some more notes from the Bucks’ Media Day session:

According to Nehm (Twitter link), Antetokounmpo says he and Lillard have a similar mentality. “Having a guy like Dame on the team, it’s unbelievable…Built from the same cloth,” Antetokounmpo said. “Wants to win, he’s extremely hungry.”
Lillard believes he and Antetokounmpo will complement each other on the court as well, tweets Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “I’m the best version of myself as a player,” Lillard said. “So I think we’ll complement each other really well. I think he’s the kind of guy that he’s not going into it worried about being the man or anything like that either. So I think it’ll work out perfectly.”
Antetokounmpo once again praised former teammate Jrue Holiday, who was sent to Portland in the Lillard deal and then was traded to Boston yesterday. “We’re definitely going to miss him… He’s always going to be a champion forever. He’s always going to be my friend, the best person I’ve ever met,” he said, per Nehm (Twitter link).
Center Brook Lopez talked about free agency this summer, as Nehm of The Athletic relays (Twitter links). The big man eventually returning to the Bucks on a two-year, $48MM deal. Lopez prioritized “finding the place that I had the best chance to win and finding a place where I was valued,” adding that Milwaukee “was the only place I really wanted to be…(re-signing) means everything to me.”
If they’re invited, both Lopez and Khris Middleton would like to play for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics, Nehm tweets.
Speaking of Middleton, he says he’s fully healthy following offseason knee surgery, according to Nehm (Twitter link). The three-time All-Star was limited to 33 regular season games in 2022/23 after undergoing wrist surgery in the 2022 offseason and then being bothered by his right knee. “I feel great,” he said. “Don’t have the pain that I had last year. It was a decision that was made halfway through the season that I was going to have to get it fixed. It wasn’t a hard decision at all.”

Nets Notes: Culture, Johnson, Lillard, Whitehead

October 2nd, 2023 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

For the first time in a few years, the Nets will enter a new season with relatively modest expectations, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who notes that the new-look roster probably doesn’t have championship upside. On the plus side though, it looks like it should be a relatively drama-free fall in Brooklyn, and team owner Joe Tsai is enthusiastic about the current group.

“I would say I’m excited,” Tsai told Lewis when asked about the upcoming year. “I’m excited about the season because we have a group of guys that are excited to be in Brooklyn. Yeah, that’s what I see now.”

With stars like Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving no longer in Brooklyn, the Nets sound eager to embrace an underdog spirit as they look to instill a culture of grit and competitiveness, Lewis writes in a separate New York Post story. As Lewis observes, the team has a number of players who will be fighting to earn a roster spot, an increased role, and/or their next contract.

“That was maybe our No. 1 priority when we set out to do this,” general manager Sean Marks said. “We wanted to acquire guys — and keep guys — that have a chip on their shoulder, something to prove.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

Cameron Johnson, who received a lucrative new four-year contract from Brooklyn in July, won’t be available when training camp begins this week, tweets Lewis. Johnson suffered a mild left hamstring strain during a workout last week and isn’t ready to resume full basketball activities.
Asked today about the rumors that the Nets were one of the teams in on the Damian Lillard sweepstakes, Marks said that the front office will always “look under every stone” but indicated the club was never seriously in the mix for the star guard. “There’s no substance there,” he said, according to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com (Twitter link).
First-round pick Dariq Whitehead, who underwent a second foot surgery this spring, said on Monday that he’s not taking contact or doing any 5-on-5 work yet, but he’s been doing some running and is glad he had that follow-up procedure. “I don’t have to finally second-guess if my foot is going to be good or not for the season, knowing that it’s finally at that point where I don’t have to worry about and I can just go out there and play,” Whitehead said, per Lewis (Twitter links).
In a pair of stories for The New York Post, Lewis shares his Nets training camp primer and digs into what it will mean for the club’s backcourt to have Ben Simmons playing point guard (subscription required). Simmons’ health status will be the key storyline to watch this fall, according to Lewis, who also identifies Dennis Smith Jr. as Brooklyn’s most intriguing new addition.

Blazers Notes: Ayton, Lillard, Brogdon, Grant, Sharpe

October 2nd, 2023 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is thrilled about the team’s acquisition of Deandre Ayton and believes the former No. 1 overall pick will benefit from a change of scenery, he said on Monday, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).

“I always have a unique perspective because of my playing career,” said Billups, who played for four teams in his first five NBA seasons before finding a long-term home in Detroit. “Sometimes it’s just time for a change. I think that was probably what happened with him (in Phoenix). For me, I’m really excited about DA. He’s already a top-five center in the league and there are so many levels he can get to. We’ve got to help him reach his potential. That’s my responsibility as a coach.”

As Vincent Goodwill writes for Yahoo Sports, the Trail Blazers believe Ayton still has a ton of potential and view him as a talented offensive player capable of playing winning basketball.

The 25-year-old appears to be just as excited about his new home as Portland is to acquire him, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. As Fentress writes, in a social media video of Ayton’s first visit to the Blazers’ facility after the trade, the big man said he was “so glad to be here,” adding that he feels like he “just got drafted.”

“I’m at an organization that wants me and wants me to succeed,” Ayton said on media day on Monday, per Fentress (Twitter link). “So, there’s a lot more passion when you feel that mentally and you know you’ve seen that physically as well. So, there’ll be a lot more grit and a lot more domination.”

Here’s more on the Blazers:

A report in the wake of the Damian Lillard trade suggested that the star guard – realizing he likely wouldn’t end up in Miami – asked general manager Joe Cronin last month if he could withdraw his trade request and return to Portland, and Cronin told him no. Asked today about that claim, Cronin offered his version of events: “I told him I personally thought it was a bad idea. The trade request had not been rescinded” (Twitter link via Highkin).
After trading away Lillard and Jrue Holiday, the Blazers don’t sound like they’re rushing back to the market to move Malcolm Brogdon. “We want to have Malcolm come here and be a part of this,” Cronin said on Monday, per Highkin (Twitter link). “He can bring some good on-court intangibles for us and also as a veteran, which is something we’re going to need. We have a very young roster. I want to make sure there’s enough veteran leadership around these guys.”
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype listed a handful of potential trade partners for the Trail Blazers if they do decide to deal Brogdon.
Veteran Blazers forward Jerami Grant, who signed a new five-year, $160MM contract with the club in July, admitted it was “definitely a shock” to realize he won’t be playing with Lillard going forward but said that it’s “part of the business” and that he’s comfortable moving forward with the current group. “Joe and (Blazers owner) Jody (Allen) have been doing a great job,” Grant said (Twitter link via Highkin). “I’m fine.”
With Lillard gone, there may be an opening for young wing Shaedon Sharpe to move into the Blazers’ starting lineup, but he said on Monday that he’s not worried about whether he starts or whether he ends up playing at the two or three, according to Highkin (Twitter links). “It doesn’t really matter to me, for real,” he said. Sharpe also told reporters that he expects to play for Team Canada in the 2024 Olympics.

Bucks Notes: Lillard, Giannis, Roster Spot, Holiday

September 30th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pairing Damian Lillard with Giannis Antetokounmpo should create plenty of scoring opportunities for the rest of the Bucks‘ offense, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Both players averaged better than 30 points per game last season, so while they’ll have to figure out how to mesh their talents, they provide plenty of individual firepower.

Lillard is a reliable shot maker who will cause opponents to be more reluctant about sagging into the lane to guard Antetokounmpo. Outside shooters Malik Beasley, Pat Connaughton and A.J. Green should all get better looks by playing alongside Lillard, Owczarski notes, while Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis become more dangerous in pick-and-pop actions.

Exchanging Jrue Holiday for Lillard will lead to a drop-off defensively, but Owczarski points out that new head coach Adrian Griffin is installing a system that emphasizes help. With Antetokounmpo and Lopez protecting the rim, the Bucks may be able to cover up Lillard’s shortcomings on defense.

There’s more from Milwaukee:

The Bucks sent Grayson Allen to Phoenix in the three-team deal, leaving them with 14 guaranteed contracts and the ability to make a roster addition, Owczarski adds. He notes that the team doesn’t have a reserve point guard with a guaranteed deal, so that might be a priority. Backups Lindell Wigginton and TyTy Washington both have two-way contracts. Milwaukee doesn’t control any of its first-round picks until 2031, so it will be difficult to improve the roster through any more trades.
Hundreds of fans waited for hours outside Fiserv Forum on Saturday for a chance to welcome Lillard to Milwaukee, according to Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports. Lillard acknowledged the crowd, but he didn’t say anything as he walked inside to meet his new team. The Bucks posted a video of Lillard taking a few shots inside the arena.
Holiday offered a farewell message on Instagram after the trade became official, per JR Radcliffe of The Journal-Sentinel. “Thank you fans! For those who know me best, they know we are all about family,” Holiday wrote. “Milwaukee — you welcomed me and my family into your city, into your homes, into your hearts. We will forever be champions together, and me and my family will forever be grateful and thankful. Until next time, thanks for everything.”

More Details On The Three-Team Lillard Blockbuster

September 30th, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks were interested in acquiring Damian Lillard immediately after he made his trade request on July 1, but the deal didn’t start to come together until this past Sunday.

As Adrian Wojnarowski writes in an in-depth story for ESPN (Insider link), Bucks general manager Jon Horst told Trail Blazers GM Joe Cronin from the outset that their talks had to remain a secret or Milwaukee would withdraw from negotiations.

According to Wojnarowski, Horst didn’t want Jrue Holiday to be involved in any trade rumors, or used as leverage by Cronin with other teams to increase offers for Lillard. The Bucks didn’t want to disrupt their chemistry and hold Holiday in very high regard. That meant Cronin was unable to gauge Holiday’s market value before agreeing to the trade.

As Wojnarowski details, Horst told Cronin that the only way a deal would work is if the Blazers took their time fielding offers and eventually circled back to Milwaukee for one-on-one talks. That started Sunday evening, with both sides feeling like they had reached a breakthrough.

Cronin was determined to say patient and accept the best possible offer, per Woj, and kept details of Lillard negotiations hidden from prying eyes. Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, was determined to steer him to Miami, but Lillard didn’t have much leverage. Wojnarowski strongly suggests Cronin felt the need to keep things private from Goodwin in case he tried to tank trade talks with non-Heat teams.

One of the most fascinating and “delicate” parts of the deal was Phoenix’s involvement. According to Wojnarowski, the Blazers and Suns had the outline of a trade together for months — Deandre Ayton to Portland for Jusuf Nurkic. Cronin wanted to tie that agreement into any Lillard trade, so throughout the offseason he kept circling back to the Suns.

However, as Wojnarowski writes, due to Milwaukee’s insistence on secrecy, Cronin was unable to tell Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein the final details until the last minute. According to Woj, Phoenix knew it was getting Nurkic, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson from the Blazers in a three-team deal, but the Suns wanted another asset in return.

Cronin was unable to tell the Suns who that player was — or who he played for. Cronin did tell the Suns the mystery player’s position and gave an approximation of his salary, and Phoenix was able to deduce it was either Thunder guard Victor Oladipo or Bucks guard Grayson Allen.

Only on Wednesday afternoon — just before the trade was made public — did Cronin confirm that it was Allen, whom the Suns had reportedly been interested in for several months. According to Wojnarowski, Bartelstein, GM James Jones and owner Mat Ishbia quickly discussed and then agreed to the deal.

The Blazers were happy and relieved to have completed the deal, per Woj, and believed they did right by Lillard by sending him to a contender, even if it wasn’t his preferred destination. Shortly thereafter, Cronin was bombarded by calls inquiring about Holiday, who is now the hottest name on the trade block.

Wojnarowki’s full story is definitely worth reading in full if you subscribe to ESPN+.

Heat Notes: Ellington, Roster, Jaquez, Lillard

September 29th, 2023 at 7:12pm CST by Rory Maher

Wayne Ellington, a 13-year veteran whose last NBA stint came with the Lakers in 2021/22, has joined the Heat as a player development coach, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Ellington will replace Anthony Carter, who left Miami a couple months ago to join the Grizzlies.

Ellington, 35, hasn’t officially retired, but the fact that the longtime shooting guard is joining Miami’s coaching staff is an indication that his playing days might be coming to a close.

According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), Ellington was considering continuing his career in a front office role, but the Heat offered him a job as a coach and he accepted it. The team just made the announcement, but Ellington has already been acting in an unofficial capacity for several weeks, Reynolds adds.

The 28th pick of the 2009 draft, Ellington has played in 770 regular seasons games (20.9 MPG) for nine teams during his career, averaging 8.0 PPG and 2.1 RPG while shooting 38.2% from three-point range. He had his most productive seasons during his tenure with the Heat from 2016-19, averaging 10.5 PPG as a shooting specialist (38.4% from deep on high volume).

Here’s more on the Heat:

Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald explore what’s next for the Heat after they were unable to trade for Damian Lillard, who landed with the Bucks in a three-team blockbuster. As the authors note, the Heat will have to fill their 14th standard roster spot before the season starts — they currently only have 13 players on standard deals, including Orlando Robinson‘s partially guaranteed salary.
First-round pick Jaime Jaquez was involved in the Lillard trade rumors and he admits he heard the speculation, he told Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I won’t lie, at first it was in the back of my head,” Jaquez said earlier this week. “Like what’s going to happen? Am I going to leave? You never know. But as we moved on and time went on, I just got really comfortable in my situation that whatever happens happens. I just believe it’s all a part of a bigger plan. Things happen for a reason. If I stay, great. If I get traded, it was fun while it lasted. But I try not to worry about that. I can only control what I can control.” The former UCLA standout also said he’s fully healthy following a shoulder injury in Summer League and has been working on his shooting and defense ahead of his rookie season.
Missing out on Lillard is “close to a worst-case scenario” for the Heat, contends William Guillory of The Athletic. As Guillory writes, Lillard would have been an ideal fit on the offensive end, and he’ll also be joining the rival Bucks, which not only improves Milwaukee’s roster but also may make Giannis Antetokounmpo more likely to sign an extension. Guillory believes the Heat can’t just stand pat and need to bolster their offensive firepower to make another deep playoff run. He also wonders if Tyler Herro will have any lingering resentment after being involved in trade rumors all summer.

Details On Damian Lillard’s “Messy” Exit From Portland

September 28th, 2023 at 10:29pm CST by Rory Maher

Multiple reporters have cited sources who said the Trail Blazers hadn’t discussed a Damian Lillard trade with the Heat — Lillard’s preferred landing spot — since July.

According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, the last dialogue the two sides had was a phone call at Summer League between Blazers GM Joe Cronin and Heat GM Andy Elisburg. Miami wanted to set up an in-person meeting in Las Vegas to have further discussions, but it never transpired, per Haynes.

“How this summer played out behind the scenes definitely left a sour taste in my mouth,” Lillard told Haynes. “But it doesn’t change the amazing experiences I’ve had with the Trail Blazers and this city. I’ll always cherish this place. This is my home. I’ll always live here regardless.”

The situation became acrimonious almost immediately, as the Blazers felt Lillard’s trade request had put them at a negotiating disadvantage, while Miami believed Portland was acting out of emotion instead of understanding the league is a business, Haynes writes.

Following a lengthy period of inactivity, Aaron Goodwin, Lillard’s agent, suggested that Cronin meet with Lillard in the event that the longtime star returned to the team.

As Haynes details, at the meeting on September 5, Lillard expressed his disappointment with the situation and wondered why there hadn’t been any communication between Portland and Miami. He didn’t want to be traded anywhere else and noted that he’d been willing to sacrifice for the team.

Specifically, Haynes cites sources who say the Blazers asked Lillard to sit out the final 10 games of last season to boost Portland’s lottery odds. Lillard was told a top pick would improve the front office’s chances of trading it for a win-now veteran. Lillard reluctantly agreed, with the team citing a “calf injury.” Portland ultimately kept the pick and selected Scoot Henderson No. 3 overall.

According to Haynes, Cronin told Lillard at the September 5 meeting that he planned to extract every possible asset from the Heat if he had to deal with them. Realizing that was unrealistic, Lillard responded by saying if he couldn’t land in Miami, he’d prefer to rescind his trade request and return to Portland.

Cronin told Lillard he couldn’t come back, which “shocked” the 33-year-old, sources tell Haynes. Lillard was “discouraged” that he couldn’t return to the Blazers, but he also didn’t want to be somewhere he wasn’t wanted, so he ended the meeting.

Shortly thereafter, the Blazers — who were frustrated with their offers at that point — refused to communicate with Lillard and Goodwin for almost three weeks. Portland didn’t want Goodwin meddling in trade talks, which is how the team rationalized the decision, per Haynes.

With Cronin refusing to talk, Goodwin came up with a contingency plan, letting both Milwaukee and Brooklyn know Lillard would be interested in joining those two teams. Haynes is now the third to report that information regarding the Bucks and Nets.

The NBA actually got involved on September 23 because of the contentious communication breakdown, Haynes writes. Cronin agreed to have dialogue with Goodwin at that point, and a few days later Lillard was traded to the Bucks.

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo admitted he has mixed emotions about the trade, he told Haynes.

“It’s a bittersweet day for the city of Milwaukee,” Antetkounmpo said. “You get Dame, who is a great player, but you lose a great guy. Jrue (Holiday) took us to the promised land. I’m 10 years in now. I know it’s a business. At the end of the day, Jrue will alway be be my brother for life. He’s one of the best human beings I’ve been around. But we’ve got to focus on the goal to win the championship. Dame wants this. He’s hungry to win, and he’s going to push us. I’m very happy to have him on our team.”

Haynes’ story for Bleacher Report has more details and quotes and is worth reading in full.

Here are some more notes related to the three-team blockbuster:

In a series of Twitter posts, Lillard sent a heartfelt thank you and goodbye to Blazers fans, teammates, coaches, employees, the media, and more. In conclusion, he wrote, “As this chapter of my life ends, I look back and realize how special it was. Even in this moment I feel sad that we never accomplished what I so badly wanted to. I don’t cry much, but I know my love for you is real because I am for sure dropping some tears right now. Rip City you know my heart and where I stand because I’ve stood there for over a decade so to have to move off my square hurts my heart. … I do believe a day will come where I put on a Blazers uniform on again, and hopefully by then I’ll be forgiven for breaking your hearts along with my own.”
Center Deandre Ayton, who was sent to Portland in the deal, also sent a thank you message to the Suns (via Twitter).
Only Lillard and Holiday will be required to report and pass physicals as part of the deal, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links), who adds that Holiday can’t be traded until both players pass their physicals. The Blazers owe the Bulls a top-14 protected first-rounder through 2028, and if it conveys that summer, Portland’s ’28 first-round pick swap with Milwaukee will be voided, Marks reports.
The Blazers generated an $8.8MM traded player exception in the deal, while the Suns got a $1.1MM TPE, per Marks.
In another tweet, Marks notes that Holiday can’t be aggregated with other salaries for two months, though he can be traded on his own (or with one or more players if his salary isn’t aggregated with theirs).
While multiple reports have now said Goodwin reached out to Brooklyn, NetsDaily.com hears the Nets were never interested and only discussed Lillard with Portland one time, in July. The Nets simply didn’t believe Lillard could turn them into a contender and were wary of his age and long-term contract, per NetsDaily.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype explores what’s next following the deal, while Sam Vecenie of The Athletic evaluates the trade for the Bucks, Blazers and Suns.

Jrue Holiday Rumors: Heat, Pacers, Knicks, Celtics, More

September 28th, 2023 at 7:29pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers, Clippers, Heat, Celtics, Bulls and Sixers are among the teams Jrue Holiday would be interested in joining, a league source tells Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

That said, unless the Trail Blazers are willing to hold onto Holiday for at least a few months, you can scratch the Lakers from the list of possible suitors. They obviously aren’t trading LeBron James for Holiday, and the other players they could theoretically use to match salaries aren’t trade-eligible until December or January.

The Blazers are expected to prioritize young players and draft assets in exchange for Holiday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (YouTube link).

Holiday is expected to draw interest from a variety of teams, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider link). The Heat could be among that group, but Portland “had no major interest in any individual Miami player or draft asset, and limited interest in whatever combination Miami might cobble” during negotiations for Damian Lillard, Lowe reports.

According to Chiang and Jackson, the Heat haven’t ruled out making an aggressive push for Holiday, but they didn’t do it immediately on Thursday. Miami isn’t expected to pursue James Harden, and has yet to express interest in Pacers sharpshooter Buddy Hield, who is reportedly on the trading block after failing to reach an extension, a source tells Chiang and Jackson. Free agent guard Goran Dragic is interested in returning to the Heat, but that interest doesn’t appear to be mutual, per The Herald’s duo.

Sources tell Lowe the Pacers and Knicks are expected to have a level of interest in Holiday, though it’s unclear how seriously they’ll pursue the defensive stalwart. While Lowe believes Holiday could be a good fit with both clubs, he wonders if Indiana will decide it’s too early to make a win-now move.

Boston was previously cited as a possible suitor, but multiple sources tell Brian Robb of MassLive that the Celtics will likely be outbid and aren’t expected to land Holiday. Still, the team has long been interested in the veteran guard — Boston tried to acquire Holiday a few years ago before he was traded to Milwaukee, a source tells Robb.

Here are a few more notes related to Holiday, who was sent to the Blazers from the Bucks as part of yesterday’s Lillard blockbuster:

Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t have a direct impact on the Lillard deal, Wojnarowski noted in the same segment. “Directly, (Antetokounmpo) literally played no role,” Wojnarowski said. “In fact, (GM) Jon Horst did not bring this trade idea or sign off on it to Giannis Antetokounmpo because Jrue Holiday was involved. And the relationship there and the reverence that this organization and these players have for Holiday. He did not want to put that to Giannis Antetokounmpo and have him have that on his conscience necessarily that he might sign off or not sign off on it.” However, as Wojnarowski observes, Antetokounmpo putting pressure on the organization by saying winning more championships was the most important thing in his career certainly played a significant indirect factor in Milwaukee trading for Lillard.
In addition to the previously mentioned teams that might pursue Holiday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link) believes the Pelicans, Kings and Warriors would also benefit from the All-Star guard’s services. Over at The Athletic, John Hollinger lists the Heat, Clippers and Celtics as logical destinations for Holiday.
Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star considers the pros and cons of the Pacers pursuing Holiday. As Dopirak writes, head coach Rick Carlisle heaped praise on the five-time All-Defensive member during the 2022/23 season. “I’d like to somebody to name five other basketball players that are better than Jrue Holiday at the entire game,” Carlisle said. “Guy’s an amazing player, both sides of the ball. His scoring tonight was at another level obviously, but defensively, he can guard anybody. Just a nod of respect to him. He’s a guy that too often is overlooked as a truly, truly great player.” Still, Dopirak thinks it’s probably too early for Indiana to go after a 33-year-old veteran like Holiday, who can be a free agent in 2024 if he declines his player option.

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