Bucks predicted to split with Damian Lillard in trade sending 9-time All-Star to East playoff team

TJ Morin

Bucks predicted to split with Damian Lillard in trade sending 9-time All-Star to East playoff team image

The Milwaukee Bucks just had some great news today, as their other superstar in Damian Lillard was cleared to play after dealing with blood clots. This is welcome news, as the Bucks are down 1-0 to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. 

However, if somehow the Bucks lose the series with their fully healthy roster, some changes may need to be made to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz believes the Bucks can do this by trading Lillard to the Orlando Magic for some solid players to support Antetokounmpo. The trade would look like this:

Bucks get: Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr., Cole Anthony, and a 2025 first-round pick via the Denver Nuggets

Magic get: Damian Lillard 

Swartz reasoning for this trade is due to the fact that the Bucks’ core players, Antetokounmpo, Lillard, and Brook Lopez are all 30+ years old, with Lillard and Lopez being 35+ years old, so they need to get younger. 

“The Bucks core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Brook Lopez and others isn't title-worthy and is only getting older. With Antetokounmpo still in his prime, Milwaukee needs to get younger, deeper and more athletic overall,” Swartz wrote. 

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Jalen Suggs would be a great replacement for Lillard, and Wendell Carter for Lopez. Anthony is the cherry on top, as he could become their new sixth man and be the spark plug off the bench.

If the Bucks don’t make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, they definitely should consider this trade. They tried with their current core, and it didn’t work. They might need to try something new.

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TJ Morin

TJ Morin is a Sports Media graduate of Butler University. When he isn’t writing, or arguing about sports, he’s sitting on the couch with his dad cheering for one of their various teams, the Washington Commanders, the Boston Celtics, the Boston Red Sox, the Virginia Cavaliers and the Butler Bulldogs. TJ can be found ranting about them on X @_Big_3_Sports_.