Damian Lillard Teams Up With Giannis in Milwaukee: Winners and Losers of Blockbuster 3 Team Trade

• The Milwaukee Bucks acquired Damian Lillard in a blockbuster three-team trade
• The Portland Trail Blazers landed Jrue Holiday, DeAndre Ayton, and several picks in the deal
• Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson are headed to the Phoenix Suns

No one saw that coming.

The Milwaukee Bucks pulled off a major coup on Wednesday, landing superstar point guard Damian Lillard in a three-team trade with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns.

Sports Brief looks at the winners and losers of this blockbuster deal.

Damian Lillard (Winner)

Lillard entered the offseason with the goal of finding a new team that would help him reach the promised land and win an NBA championship.

Mission accomplished.

With his move to the Milwaukee Bucks, he joins a team that is laden with talent and has tons of championship experience.

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Athletics

He won’t have to shoulder the scoring load alone, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis also in the lineup.

Milwaukee Bucks (Winner)

The pressure was mounting on the Bucks to make a major move.

Antetokounmpo repeatedly said during the offseason that he might not re-sign with the club if they didn’t match his ambition of winning another championship.

The Bucks answered the call, getting the best available player on the trade market.

Not only did they get Lillard in the deal, but they also surely have locked up Giannis for the foreseeable future.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Winner)

The 'Greek Freak' knew the Bucks needed to shake things up. A shocking first-round exit against the Miami Heat last season made Giannis reconsider his future with the franchise.

Antetokounmpo, who previously stated that he wanted to stay in Milwaukee for the rest of his career, shocked fans when he announced that he would leave the Bucks if they didn’t improve the team soon.

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Football

The Bucks did improve as they assembled the league’s newest Big 3 with Giannis, Dame, and Middleton.

DeAndre Ayton (Winner)

Ayton finally got his wish. He gets a much-needed change of scenery with his move to the Portland Trail Blazers.

He now has the opportunity to establish himself as one of the league’s best big men in Portland.

He is expected to put up monster numbers as one of the main offensive weapons for the Blazers, who will start their post-Lillard era next season.

Jrue Holiday (Loser)

The NBA is a brutal business.

Holiday professed his love for the Bucks a day before the trade, saying that he’s a Buck for life and that he doesn’t want to play for any other team.

That won’t happen anymore with Milwaukee sending Holiday to Portland as part of the trade.

The good news for Holiday is that top teams are lining up to acquire his services for the upcoming season, with reports surfacing that the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics are interested in getting him.

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Football

A revenge series against the Bucks in next year’s playoffs will be so much fun.

Miami Heat (Loser)

Damian Lillard going to the Heat was a foregone conclusion until it wasn’t. Many expected the former Blazers star to eventually land in South Beach, with Miami the only team showing interest in acquiring Lillard this offseason.

That dream is now over, with Miami’s assets proving not enough to entice Portland to trade them Lillard.

The Heat may now target former Bucks star Holiday in a stunning twist.

Stephen Curry trains in Dubai

Sports Brief recently reported on Steph Curry’s training.

The Golden State Warriors star was spotted in Dubai just weeks before the start of the new NBA season.

He was doing some intensive training while on a trip to UAE with his wife, Ayesha.