Lakers Trade Pitch Lands Damian Lillard From Bucks

Getty Damian Lillard drives the ball against Anthony Davis.

The Bucks began the 2024-25 season at 2-8, their worst start since the 2013-14 season. With the Damian Lillard – Giannis Antetokounmpo combo not working as expected, several NBA insiders expect Milwaukee to blow up the roster either ahead of the February 6 trade deadline or the 2025 offseason.

In light of those reports, FanSided’s Craig Miller proposed a three-way trade involving the Bucks, Lakers, and Spurs with several moving pieces to make salaries work.

Lakers would get: Lillard, Charles Bassey, Sandro Mamukelashvili

Bucks would get: D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, 2029 first-round pick (via LAL), 2031 first-round pick (via LAL), 2026 second-round pick (via SA)

Spurs would get: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Christian Wood, 2025 second-round pick, 2030 second-round pick (via LAL), 2031 second-round pick (via MIL)

For the Lakers, the trade pitch could prove to be a steal as they hold onto Austin Reaves and rookie Dalton Knecht, two young guards who’ve earned the praise of first-year head coach JJ Redick. While the latter had yet to earn considerable playing time in the early goings of the 2024-25 season, he showed flashes of an elite sharpshooter with a bright future in the NBA. As for Reaves, he averaged a career-high 18.7 points, 5.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds 10 games into the season, establishing himself as the third star of the team behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Time For Bucks to Blow it Up?

As for the Bucks, the writer argued that the franchise might be better off trading Lillard and starting anew with a slew of first-round picks from the Lakers, not to mention the services of D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent.

“For Milwaukee, this breaks Lillard’s salary up into more manageable contracts that keep their books much cleaner moving forward,” Miller wrote. “These guys could help them stay somewhat competitive on the floor or net additional assets in follow-up deals, particularly in the case of Russell and Hachimura. It’s not the sexiest of packages but Lillard’s trade value is only so high. That first-round picks are the real prize.”

Should the Lakers Trade for Damian Lillard?

Lillard, 33, endured the overall worst season of his career in 2023-24. Statistically, he averaged his fewest points (24.3) for a full season since his third year in the league in  2014-15. Furthermore, he shot 42% from the floor and 35% from three, numbers that are considered subpar in the modern NBA. The eight-time All-Star ranked 124th in the league in three-point percentage (minimum there attempts per game) and his shoddy perimeter defense was a big problem for the Bucks all through the season.

After a full training camp under new Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, Lillard was expected to turn things around in the 2024-25 campaign. Instead, the Bucks got more of the same from the veteran guard, who shot a paltry 34% from three through the first 10 games. More worryingly, Lillard struggled against elite defensive units such as the Knicks and Celtics, shooting a combined 10-of-30 from the field and 1-of-12 from three in back-to-back games on November 8 and November 10.

It’s worth noting that Lillard originally sought a trade to the Heat when he requested out of the Blazers in August 2023. Upon landing in Milwaukee, Lillard confirmed that he wanted to link up with his close friend Bam Adebayo in South Beach, but was professional enough to understand the business of the NBA. He also sounded enthused about the idea of pairing up with Antetokounmpo, a fellow member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.