NBA World Reacts to Massive Damian Lillard, Deandre Ayton Trade

The Phoenix Suns helped make not a splash - but rather a tidal wave - in the NBA world with their involvement in a three-team trade that helped send Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks and Deandre Ayton to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Full details of the trade:

Bucks receive: Damian Lillard

Trail Blazers receive: Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, 2029 1st-round pick 2 pick swaps.

Suns receive: Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson

Lillard himself took to Twitter/X after a long time spent in Portland chasing the grind with no championship result:

The casuals won’t be addressed but the trailblazers fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be … and they will be addressed truthfully. Stay tuned

Excited for my next chapter! @Bucks 🎟️
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 27, 2023

This comes after Giannis Antetokounmpo's hint at potentially moving away from Milwaukee if they didn't ensure they were willing to move in another championship direction.

Well played, Bucks.

Giannis told them boys his future was uncertain and they went out and brought him Dame, I respect it.
— Niko (@nikotaughtyou) September 27, 2023

Many thought Lillard was destined to head to the Miami Heat, and it did appear to be that way for much of the summer.

Heat forward Jimmy Butler says there's potential tampering at play:

“Yo NBA man, y’all need to look into the Bucks for tampering… Y’all didn’t hear it from me, but I heard it from somebody.”

Jimmy Butler speaks on Damian Lillard being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks 😅

(via @JimmyButler / IG)pic.twitter.com/fDBMSEHN3h
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 27, 2023

Did Phoenix help Milwaukee get another ring?

did the Suns just help the Bucks win another championship
— sreekar (@sreekyshooter) September 27, 2023

Ayton is now finally out of the Valley after years of speculation, as the former No. 1 pick could never maximize his potential through various coaches and teams.

You either trust James Jones and Mat Ishbia and their dedication to a title or you don’t. It’s as simple as that with a Deandre Ayton deal.
— Espo  (@Espo) September 27, 2023

Now, Grayson Allen and three other players are on the way back.

Devin Booker hates Ayton so much that he's willing to play with Grayson Allen, let that sink in
— Sam Cooper (@scooperhoops) September 27, 2023

Entire world focused on Dame and Giannis while Grayson Allen going iso with the game on the line as KD/Booker/Beal stare in disbelief is right there.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) September 27, 2023

Suns fans are split, though prominent NBA people believe Phoenix got better.

The Phoenix Suns got a lot better and a much deeper roster with Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson. The Lakers are the best in the West followed by Phoenix and Denver behind them.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) September 27, 2023

Suns got nas and nurk with a shooter Sheesh
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) September 27, 2023

So the Suns swap Deandre Ayton in favor of depth:

Jusuf Nurkic
Grayson Allen
Nassir Little
Keon Johnson

There wasn't trust from Devin Booker and Kevin Durant in Ayton, and the Suns already found out Ayton wasn't slowing down Nikola Jokic.

No one can, so there's some logic in…
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) September 27, 2023

No more Ayton back and forth as moving forward was best for both sides.

At the end of the day the relationship between Ayton and the team wasn't going to improve. Fresh start for both sides. Both sides wanted this,and the Suns were always going to move on from him. It wasn't a question of if he was or wasn't going to be moved it was when.
— DColdest (@DColdestt) September 27, 2023

Pretty mediocre trade but at least we don’t have to watch/argue about Deandre Ayton anymore.
— Max (@maxmcc11) September 27, 2023

Regardless of how you feel about the trade, Ayton was awful on defense last season and postseason and if you talked yourself into the solution being Vogel plus him taking LESS shots then you had more faith than James Jones did and he’s worked with him closely for years.
— Mike Vigil (@protectedpick) September 27, 2023