Damian Lillard Trade Reactions: Heat Players Accuse Bucks of Tampering

Damian Lillard finally being traded after months of speculation isn't exactly a surprise. Where the seven-time All-Star point guard ended up still managed to shock the NBA world.

The Portland Trail Blazers are trading Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a three-team deal that also includes the Phoenix Suns, according to multiple reports. Lillard requested a trade from the Trail Blazers in early July and had reported interest in joining the Miami Heat. Instead, the 33-year-old will team up with former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Portland will receive Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara in the deal, as well as Milwaukee's unprotected first-round pick in 2029 and draft swap rights in 2028 and 2030, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported. The Suns will get Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson in the deal.

Lillard leaves Portland after 11 seasons. The seven-time All-NBA performer led the franchise to the playoffs eight times and ranks first in team history in points and 3-pointers.

The deal was confirmed by Lillard on X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday afternoon.

Players, fans and just about everyone else surrounding the NBA are still trying to grasp what just happened. Here are a few reactions from around the league.

NBA World Reacts to Lillard Trade

Lillard had maybe the best year of his NBA career last season, at least when he was on the court.

The former No. 6 overall pick scored a career-high 32.2 points per game and did so shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from deep. In February, the 6-foot-2 guard scored 71 points against the Houston Rockets. Lillard also averaged 7.3 assists but played just 58 games before being shut down for the final month of the season.

According to ESPN, Lillard's 32.2 scoring average last season is the largest output by a player to change teams the following season. To simplify things: Trades like this don't usually happen.

Now that one has, involving a somewhat surprising team, there's enough shock to go around.

CJ McCollum, Evan Turner and Maurice Harkless are among the players who were teammates of Lillard's in Portland at different points to react to the trade on X. Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson said Milwaukee's pick and roll with Lillard and Antetokounmpo will be "unstoppable." Former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III joked about Lillard ending up in the Midwest when he was eyeing South Florida.

Elsewhere on X, users were marveling over a GQ video from last year in which Lillard says the "Greek Freak" is the player he'd want to team up with to win a championship. There are also jokes about Antetokounmpo selecting Lillard first in last season's All-Star draft, ahead of one of his own teammates.

Heat Players Not Happy, Allege Tampering

The Bucks are the consensus favorites to win the NBA title this upcoming season after the Lillard trade. DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars are among the sportsbooks to give Milwaukee the best odds to win the NBA Finals.

Miami might be thinking "what could have been."

Jimmy Butler, the Heat's six-time All-Star, seemed upset that Lillard won't be headed to South Beach after all. Butler said on his Instagram story shortly after trade news broke that the Bucks need to be looked into for tampering. Another Heat player, Tyler Herro, agreed with Butler in a message posted to X.

It is unclear if Butler and Herro are serious with their allegations against the Bucks. Newsweek reached out to the Bucks for comments on the matter.

Lillard and the Bucks will open their 2023-24 regular season with a matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 26. The Bucks will play the Heat four days later. Lillard will return to Portland to play the Trail Blazers on January 31.