The Portland Trail Blazers just signed Damian Lillard to a three-year, $42 million contract in a move that will certainly have Boston Celtics fans everywhere laughing at the Milwaukee Bucks. Two years ago, the Bucks took a swing on Lillard, shipping out Jrue Holiday (who was then traded to the Celtics). Since then, it’s been a mess for Milwaukee.
Lillard didn’t pan out in Milwaukee, and now, he’s back in Portland—the big winners of it all. They traded Lillard, got a haul, and re-signed him on a cheaper contract two years later. Meanwhile, the Bucks trading Holiday helped him land in Boston, where he aided the Celtics in winning a championship.
All the while, the Bucks have been the biggest losers.
Celtics fans were a huge winner of Damian Lillard trade
When the Bucks traded for Lillard, they were fresh off a first-round exit at the hands of the eight-seeded Miami Heat. They wanted to add more offense to their lineup. And Holiday was the price they paid.
But when they made that trade, their worst nightmare came true. The very team they were loading up to compete against managed to trade for the player they just gave up. Holiday joined the Celtics.
That was the first point of laughter for the Celtics. Their bitter rival fed them the fuel they needed to compete for a championship.
Fast forward to now, and the Bucks look even sillier. The Blazers are on top of the world, all at the expense of the Celtics and the Bucks.
Somehow, since the original trade happened, the Blazers have reacquired both Lillard and Holiday. The difference is that they had to give up some value in order to acquire Holiday. Lillard was gifted to them on a silver platter.
Portland traded Anfernee Simons to the Celtics in exchange for Holiday, helping the Celtics shed a little bit of salary while maintaining some value. Milwaukee, on the other hand, will be paying Lillard roughly $22 million per season for each of the next five years just to be off their team.
Had Lillard simply stayed in Portland, they would be paying him almost four times as much money. Instead, the Bucks took him away for two years, waived him, and cleared the way for Lillard to sign back with the Blazers on a cheaper contract.
From the time of the original Lillard trade to now, here is what each team has gotten in return. The Blazers have made out like bandits, as they now have Lillard, Holiday, Deni Avdija, Robert Williams III, and elite draft capital.
The Celtics have Banner 18.
The Bucks have millions of dollars in dead money on their books and almost zero future draft capital.
What a disaster.