Damian Lillard shared his first words since being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks on social media, sharing that regular people in the NBA won’t be approached about his decision, but fans Trailblazers will receive a message from the star guard.
Damian Lillard has promised to release a lengthy statement to Portland Trail Blazers fans following his blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The former Portland All-Star guard wrote: “The usual problems will not be solved, but the fans of the Trail Blazers and the city of Portland that I truly love will be solved and they will be solved in a big way.” honest. Stay tuned. Looking forward to my next chapter! @Deer”
The Trail Blazers traded Lillard to the Bucks in a three-team deal with the Phoenix Suns. Portland received Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Milwaukee’s 2029 unprotected first-round pick and Milwaukee’s 2028 and 2030 unprotected franchise rights.
The Suns acquired Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson in this trade. When Lillard requested a trade in July, he wanted to join the Miami Heat, as his agent, Aaron Goodwin, relayed to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Lillard, 33, was a standout during last year’s NBA season, averaging 32.2 points per game and shooting 64.5 percent. He is considered one of the best pick-and-roll players in the league and is known for his deadly pull-up shooting skills. Many people compare him to Golden State Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry.
Last month, during an interview at his Formula Zero Elite camp, Lillard refused to answer any questions about the Trail Blazers organization. However, he emphasized his enduring affection for the city of Portland and its fans. “I would say there was [a trade request] and I don’t want to talk about the Trail Blazers,” Lillard told Andscape. “I love the city of Portland.”
“Every initiative that I have started, I will continue and will complete it no matter what. Love will be like that because the way I say I feel about Portland is the same way I feel about Portland. I say what I feel about Portland. I mean, and I mean what I say. All is well, it always is. [Portland area residents] just tell me they love me. That’s literally what they say. “Miss, we love you. We thank you for everything. That’s dialogue. It’s quite simple and appropriate.”
Lilliard also owns the Damian Lillard Foundation, which operates in Oregon. Although he is known as one of the best Blazers of all time, his influence extends beyond the NBA games scheduled in Portland.
The former Portland police officer is deeply involved in various community outreach initiatives, focusing on the RESPECT program, which encourages youth to work hard and stay in school. In his own words, Lillard will continue to serve the Portland community through his efforts.
After the trade, Blazers fans and social media users began meticulously digging through the seven-time NBA All-Star’s past tweets. They found a Bucks-related tweet in which Lillard simply said “no” about whether he would rejoin the team after ousting former coach Mike Budenholzer. The post received over ten thousand retweets on social media, most pointing out the irony of the deal being broken.