Bucks' Damian Lillard Never Wanted to Go to Milwaukee, Says Insider

Apr 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) reacts with forward Kyle Kuzma (18) in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game four of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Lillard left the game early in the in the first quarter with an injury. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

As Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard reunited with his former team this offseason, the Portland Trail Blazers, Bucks insider Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive and co-host of the Blazer Focused podcast revealed that Lillard never wanted to play in Milwaukee in the first place.

Towards the end of Lillard's tenure with the Trail Blazers, the point guard requested a trade after season No. 11 in Portland. Frentress spoke on Lillard not being happy with the team that acquired him after making his trade intentions known.

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“Also, he was not happy in Milwaukee,” Fentress said. “He didn’t want to go there in the first place. He wanted to go to Miami. He relented and went to Milwaukee because his agent talked him into it.”

Lillard's preferred landing spot ahead of the 2023-24 season was to the Miami Heat. The trade rumors were plenty, similar to those surrounding Lillard's next destination after being waived from the Bucks after his brutal Achilles tear, but it was known that South Beach is where the nine-time All-Star wanted to end up.

As a chance to finally play in Miami could have been in the cards for Lillard this offseason, the Heat reportedly didn't want his first year to be wasted cap space, per Hoops Wire's Ashish Mathur.

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“Lillard is expected to miss all of next season rehabbing his torn left Achilles tendon. The Heat didn’t want to pay Lillard to rehab and not play, the league source said,” claimed Mathur.

Lillard averaged 24.6 points per game in a Bucks uniform, along with seven assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per contest while in Milwaukee.

The end of his tenure with the Bucks was marred by deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, and upon his return after about a month off, Lillard tore his Achilles after just three games since his return in the first round of the playoffs.

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