CDT (Central Dame Time)
Introducing the NBA's newest time zone and superteam
Our first emergency post! I don’t know if we’ll make these a regular thing, but it was too fun not to today.
Onto business then. How ‘bout that Dame trade, huh?
The deets are here, in a long-awaited Woj Bomb with quite the blast radius:
“The Portland Trail Blazers are trading guard Damian Lillard to play to alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo with the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a three-team deal that also includes the Phoenix Suns, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday.
Portland will receive Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Milwaukee's 2029 unprotected first-round draft pick, and unprotected Milwaukee swap rights in 2028 and 2030, sources told Wojnarowski.
The Suns will receive Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson, sources told Wojnarowski.”
There are only so many takes you can fire off before we see Dame and Giannis together, but that’s not stopping anyone else, so I’ll chime in with authority too.
This is the exact kind of bold, unexpected move that a small-market team like the Milwaukee Bucks needs to make in order to hold on to a big-time superstar. Now, all of a sudden, they have two.
I love Jrue Holiday and everything he brings to the table. He’s an excellent player who’s added to his offensive bag over the years, and when it comes to his defensive acumen, going from an all-time stopper to an infamous sieve in Lillard might not end well for the Bucks. This could backfire.
BUT — but.
In today’s age of disgruntled stars, where Run It Back can be a tough sell, even when you have a championship core, this is a defensible move to try.
Holiday is 33, as is Lillard. Neither one is in their prime, but it’s not unlikely that Lillard’s skill set — his shooting, mainly — will age better than Holiday’s over the next few years, which is all the Bucks are concerned with.
For my money, the East looks less open today. You play to win a championship, and keep the window open as long as you can when you have a game-changing talent like Giannis on the roster.
Vegas agrees. They’re the favorites to win the title now, which is no guarantee of success of course. The Suns’ title odds spiked post-Durant-trade, too.
Unlike Phoenix, though, Milwaukee didn’t empty its bench to make the deal. They lost Grayson Allen, who’s a rotation guy and a capable defender, but he’s replaceable.
The Bucks will hope Pat Connaughton looks better next year, and that the new kid, Andre Jackson, Jr., can contribute too.
This roster still looks solid beneath the trio at the top, in which I’m including a hopefully healthier Khris Middleton.
Nothing’s done yet. You don’t win anything in the offseason.
But there’s a whole new reason to Fear the Deer.
Also:
What a merciful end to a long and trying Will They, Won’t They odyssey. It’ll be hard to say goodbye to the meandering rumor podcasts of the last few months, but I’m ready.
Tough one for Heat Culture, but they’re probably more interested in trying to woo Dame’s new teammate in a couple years.
This move could foil that! It could also move it along. Crystal balls are hard.
Is this the biggest trade shocker since Paul George to the Clippers? Or just the biggest trade shocker since KD to the Suns? Recency bias is hard.
DeAndre Ayton landing in Portland is a hilarious side plot to all this, as the Suns trade their softest player for a hardo center that might not be very good anymore. Welcome to the valley, Jusuf Nurkic! Be your new owner’s enforcer.
They added four potential rotation players, though, which seems like the appropriate priority after last year.
I’m committed to making Central Dame Time a thing. Just follow me, folks. I’ll show you the way.