Milwaukee Bucks Acquire Seven-Time All-Star, Seven-Time All-NBA Selection and NBA 75th Anniversary Team Member Damian Lillard

MILWAUKEE (Sept. 27, 2023) – The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired seven-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a three-team trade that also includes the Phoenix Suns. As part of the deal, the Bucks have traded guard Jrue Holiday and a 2029 first-round draft pick to the Trail Blazers and guard Grayson Allen to the Suns. Portland has also received the rights to swap first-round draft picks with Milwaukee in 2028 and 2030.

A seven-time All-NBA selection and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, Lillard has spent his entire NBA career with the Trail Blazers, appearing in 769 games (all starts) over the past 11 seasons while averaging 25.2 points, 6.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 36.3 minutes per game. A career 43.9% shooter from the field with a 37.2% mark from three, Lillard averaged more than 25.0 points per game in seven of his 11 seasons in Portland, including two seasons averaging more than 30.0 points a game, and is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, scoring 19,376 points – good for 59th all-time in NBA history. The 33-year-old has also dished out 5,151 assists in his career, which ranks 67th all-time.

“Damian Lillard is an elite player in our league and someone we’ve long been fans of. These opportunities are rare and hard to measure and execute. We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity for our community and team, and beyond excited to welcome Damian and his family to the Milwaukee Bucks,” said Bucks general manager Jon Horst. “His character, competitiveness, talent and experience complement our group and gives us the best chance to win at the very highest level as we create new memories together.”

Last season, the Oakland native was a Third Team All-NBA pick after averaging a career-high 32.2 points (3rd in NBA), 7.3 assists (T-10th in NBA) and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 37.1% from three. He played and started 58 games in his 10th season, scoring 30+ points 33 times and 40+ points 15 times, along with a 50-point, 60-point and career-high 71-point game on Feb. 26 against Houston, which was tied for the eighth-highest scoring game in NBA history. Lillard also averaged the second-most made threes a game in the NBA last season with 4.2 and knocked down 244 total, which ranked fifth in the league.

Originally selected by the Trail Blazers with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft out of Weber State, Lillard went on to win Rookie of the Year honors in his first season in the league in 2012-13. Since then, he has garnered All-Star selections in 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023, was named All-NBA in 2013-14 (3rd Team), 2015-16 (2nd Team), 2017-18 (1st Team), 2018-19 (2nd Team), 2019-20 (2nd Team), 2020-21 (2nd Team) and 2022-23 (3rd Team), and won the 2018-19 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award and was named the 2020-21 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year.

The 6-2 guard also led Portland to eight playoff appearances in his 11 seasons with the team, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2019. In 61 postseason games, Lillard is averaging 25.7 points, 6.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 40.3 minutes per game.

Acquired by the Bucks in November of 2020, Holiday played in 193 games (185 starts) with Milwaukee over the last three seasons and averaged 18.5 points, 6.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. Last season, Holiday appeared in 67 games (65 starts) and averaged 19.3 points, 7.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds per contest and earned his second career All-Star selection. In 14 seasons in the NBA, Holiday holds career averages of 16.4 points, 6.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

“These are the hardest, most human moments of this business. Jrue was unmatched in his commitment to the Bucks and the Greater Milwaukee community,” said Horst. “He’s truly a champion on and off the court, and we are all thankful for what he and his family have given to our team and city. He and his wife Lauren were steadfast in their efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of so many people. Their leadership and dedication to the community has left an indelible mark and inspired the Bucks organization for years to come.”

Allen appeared in 138 games (131 starts) with the Bucks over the last two seasons and averaged 10.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.4 minutes per game. Last season, he played in 72 games, making 70 starts, and averaged 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest. Entering his sixth season in the league, Allen holds career NBA averages of 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

“We are grateful to Grayson for his many contributions to the Bucks,” Horst said. “He added to the winning culture in Milwaukee, and we wish him great success.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.