Damian Lillard getting waived by Bucks is a disaster move: Why decision is short-sighted, and what comes next

What are nan Bucks doing? 

That was nan mobility racing done everyone's caput aft ESPN's Shams Charania announced that they were waiving and stretching Damian Lillard's $113 cardinal statement successful bid to clear capable room to motion Myles Turner from nan rival Pacers.

Turner is simply a bully subordinate who will make nan Bucks better. They needed a halfway aft losing Brook Lopez to nan Clippers successful free agency. Turner is simply a younger, improved type of that player.

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The Bucks won't miss Lillard much. He was going to miss nan full twelvemonth arsenic he rehabbed from a torn Achilles and had nary waste and acquisition value. They sewage stronger successful nan contiguous early by making those moves. 

Waiving him successful bid to make those improvements, though, is nan balanced of nan squad taking retired a payday loan. It will make them somewhat amended successful nan contiguous early successful speech for semipermanent consequences that are thing short of disastrous.

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Waiving Damian Lillard is simply a mistake

The Bucks didn't person headdress abstraction to motion a subordinate for illustration Turner. If they wanted to make it happen, past they needed to offload Lillard's salary.

The costs they incurred successful bid to do truthful is massive. By waiving and stretching his salary, they will beryllium stuck pinch complete $22 cardinal of dormant money connected their net headdress complete nan adjacent 5 years. It is by acold nan largest waive-and-stretch successful NBA history. 

Given really tight finances are connected title teams and really they are already retired respective of their tradeable picks, that makes it unbelievably difficult for them to get into nan class of existent contenders during what's near of nan Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks era. He is signed pinch nan Bucks for nan adjacent 2 seasons and has a subordinate action for 2027-28.

The only imaginable justification for sacrificing that early spending powerfulness would beryllium to make Giannis happy and perchance quell nan waste and acquisition rumors surrounding him. It's unclear if they accomplished that goal.

According to reporting by NBA insider Chris Haynes, Giannis was "not pleased pinch nan team’s decision" to waive Lillard. That somewhat contradicts reporting by Charania, who wrote that "Turner and Antetokounmpo some weighted nan opportunity to partner together connected nan tribunal during nan process." 

Giannis whitethorn aliases whitethorn not beryllium happy successful nan contiguous aftermath of nan move. He surely won't beryllium happy if nan Bucks proceed their three-year streak of first information playoff exits. The Turner move was made pinch nan intent of instantly fixing that problem. But nan Bucks roster is still not scaring anyone, moreover aft nan summation of Turner and Gary Harris, who was signed later successful nan day. 

The Bucks correct now. pic.twitter.com/1NzjwbOuh3

This looks for illustration a squad that is tin of winning 1 playoff bid astatine best. Kyle Kuzma was a disastrous waste and acquisition acquisition past year. They do not person a starting-level constituent defender connected their team. Their chair is thin. And they person very fewer avenues to amended successful nan future.

Milwaukee's activity still isn't done. They still request to offload 1 net successful bid to clear capable abstraction to motion Turner. Pat Connaughton mightiness beryllium going to different squad soon successful a trade. 

This whitethorn person delayed Giannis' waste and acquisition request for a fewer months. But nan Bucks dramatically lowered their ceiling, and it's much unclear than ever really they really build a awesome squad astir him during nan remaining fewer years he has near arsenic an MVP candidate. 

What comes adjacent for Damian Lillard

As for Lillard, this is simply a awesome result for him. He will clear waivers successful 48 hours, past beryllium free to motion wherever he wants arsenic an unrestricted free agent. 

Lillard had been trying to technologist a way to nan Heat earlier nan Bucks made a waste and acquisition for him. That becomes an action if he wants it. So does a return to Portland. He could motion anyplace successful nan league, if he is consenting to return a minimum contract. Given that he's getting each penny promised to him from nan Bucks, taking a immense salary trim nary longer seems for illustration an unreasonable option. 

Lillard isn't going to play this season, but he should still tie liking connected a multi-year woody crossed nan league. He's turning 35 successful 2 weeks, and he whitethorn not return to nan All-Star level that he was astatine pinch nan Bucks this past season. Now, he doesn't person to. He should find a landing spot pinch a contending squad wherever he tin beryllium a feline alternatively of nan guy.