Wed, Sep 27, 2023 at 10:45pm

LILLARD LEAVES PORTLAND FOR MILWAUKEE!

In a three-team trade, the Milwaukee Bucks acquired guard Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers; Portland acquired guard Jrue Holiday, a first-round draft pick in 2029, the right to swap first-round draft picks in 2028 and the right to swap first-round draft picks in 2030 from the Bucks, and center DeAndre Ayton and forward Toumani Camara from the Phoenix Suns; and Phoenix acquired center Jusuf Nurkic, forward Nassir Little and guard Keon Johnson from the Trail Blazers, and guard Grayson Allen from the Bucks.

What does it give the Milwaukee Bucks
For the Bucks, this trade is massive. Lillard is one of the best point guards in the NBA, so that alone makes this a big deal for Milwaukee. More importantly, this move could help the franchise keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy and committed to re-sign with the team beyond 2023-24. The Bucks were desperate to do something big, so they outbid teams like the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors (among others) to land Lillard.

What does it give the Portland Trail Blazers
For Portland, moving on from Lillard was always going to be rough. However, Getting Ayton to be the team's new starting center may cushion the blow a tad. Holiday is also a quality point guard and leader, so he should help the Trail Blazers transition away from the Lillard era. Camara was a second-round pick this past summer, so it remains to be seen whether the Blazers will sign him right away. The pick and pick swaps are a bonus.

What does it give the Phoenix Suns
For the Suns, this move helps them in terms of adding more depth. It also helps Phoenix in terms of chemistry. Ayton had to be moved because he was not going to be an important player for a Suns team that now features Kevin Durant and the guard duo of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Nurkic will step into Ayton's center spot and be more of a complementary piece. Allen and Johnson should provide depth at the guard positions.

Fantasy impact
Ayton's fantasy value should improve dramatically in Portland, so this trade is a big win for him. Lillard goes from being the undisputed No. 1 scorer on Portland to the No. 2 man behind the "Greek Freak" in Milwaukee. So, his stock may dip just a tad. He remains an elite fantasy option, though. Holiday's stock should drop in Portland, as he will likely share point guard duties with rookie Scoot Henderson. Nurkic's value could remain the same, as his points may dip but the rest of his fantasy numbers could go up in Phoenix. Allen will no longer start as a member of the Suns, so expect a drop in fantasy production from him. Johnson remains a depth player, so he has limited value. Ditto for Little. Meanwhile, Camara is likely to get a better opportunity in Portland than he would have had in Phoenix, but he holds value only in keeper formats for the time being.