There is almost a guarantee that the Milwaukee Bucks’ roster will shift this summer. They almost certainly will undergo some sort of shake-up before the upcoming season given that they were eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive season.
Damian Lillard is the biggest player who may be leaving the Bucks if the front staff decides to make a major overhaul in the summer. The Bucks would undoubtedly pick Dame to break up this core since they plainly don’t want to see Giannis Antetokounmpo leave.
But not that they would. Honestly, it seems quite unlikely that the Bucks will trade Damian Lillard away after just one season. Milwaukee isn’t seems to be close to giving up on Lillard and Giannis, so it seems likely that they will keep building around them.
But then, anything may occur, right? In fact, according to Fran Leiva of Fadeaway World, the Bucks may look to their Central Division rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers, if they wanted to get as much value as possible from Lillard in the trade market.
The specifics of the potential blockbuster agreement are as follows: “This scenario could give Lillard a chance to compete at a higher level with the Cavaliers, especially given the uncertainties surrounding his current team’s injury struggles and recent playoff disappointments, and provide the Bucks the opportunity to rejuvenate their roster by adding a younger star in Garland and additional assets,” Leiva wrote.
To begin with, I’m not sure if it’s accurate to argue that the Cavaliers can provide Dame with “a chance to compete at a higher level.” The Bucks are currently on vacation, but Cleveland is still in the postseason and fighting.
Nevertheless, it just doesn’t seem like a sound decision for the Bucks, who will be looking to capitalize on Antetokounmpo’s prime years. Darius Garland, despite being a bona fide All-Star, seems like a significant downgrade from Lillard and sounds counterproductive to Milwaukee’s current objectives