UCLA Basketball: Insider Thinks Trade Of All-Star Bruin Makes Former NBA Team Contenders
Milwaukee shocked the NBA world on Thursday afternoon after the team traded away former UCLA guard Jrue Holiday in a package for All-NBA guard Damian Lillard.
Bucks GM Jon Horst saw his roster needed to change, and Lillard's introduction to the Eastern Conference makes his new team an instant contender in one analyst's opinion.
The last time the Bucks suffered an early playoff exit, in 2020, they responded by trading a smorgasbord of future picks and swaps for Holiday; that gamble paid off with the franchise’s first title in 50 years. If Lillard fits as seamlessly as it appears he will on paper, they won’t have to wait nearly so long for the next one.
New Orleans originally sent Holiday to the Bucks as their original missing piece to a championship puzzle before the 2021 season.
Fears surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo's exit from the franchise the following summer were squashed after Horst traded for the old Bruin superstar and won it all next season.
Two seasons later, the Bucks haven't been able to earn another championship, mainly due to poor health in 2022 and a shocking upset loss to Miami last postseason.
Pressured by their superstar's recent comments, Milwaukee's move to get one of the best players in the league certainly sets them up nicely for the present.
Holiday's lackluster play on both ends of the floor contributed to the Bucks' collapse without a healthy Antetokounmpo. Unfortunately, the business side of the NBA meant his time in the city was done.
Portland's timeline now misaligns with the veteran defensive specialist, and another move could easily be coming in the next few weeks.
Wherever the UCLA legend ends up, his new team receives one of the best defenders of his generation and a champion-level point guard no matter what.
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