Blazers

Jrue Holiday Traded To The Celtics For Two First-Round Picks

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The Portland Trail Blazers have traded Jrue Holiday to the Boston Celtics for two first-round picks, Robert Williams III, and Malcolm Brogdon. The first-round picks are the Warriors’ 2024 pick and the Celtics’ 2029 pick, which is unprotected. Williams III was the 27th overall pick in 2018 and had 8.3 rebounds a game last season. Meanwhile, Brogdon was drafted in 2016 and traded to the Celtics in 2022. He had 14.9 points per game last season. Holiday, who had 19.3 points and 7.4 assists last season, will likely become the Celtics’ starting point guard in place of Derrick White.

Holiday’s time in Portland only lasted a couple of days, although that was to be expected. Holiday was one of the pieces that moved around the league during the Damian Lillard trade. However, the Blazers made it clear that Holiday was still on the trade block as the team was happy with its complement of young guards. Now he will continue his journey in Boston as part of a Celtics team that has built themselves into a serious Eastern Conference favorite. Earlier in the offseason, the Celtics dealt with the Washington Wizards for a new starting center in Kristaps Porziņģis.

Read More: Damian Lillard Reveals Blazers Made Him Fake Injury For Better Draft Pick

Giannis Sad To Lose Jrue Holiday

One person who won’t be happy to have to play Holiday regularly will be Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis, who played with Holiday the last three seasons in Milwaukee, expressed his sadness at losing his highly-regarded teammate. However, in Holiday’s place, Giannis will now have new teammate in Damian Lillard.

“Jrue is my fucking brother for life. I love his family, I love him. I appreciate him and I wish him nothing but the best. He blessed me with a fucking championship. He’s the one who made that huge steal in Game 5 of the Finals. I went to battle with him multiple times. Fuck basketball. Fuck the media shit. This guy is my brother for life, and it’s always going to be like that. He’s going to thrive wherever he ends up,” Giannis told Bleacher Report.

Read More: Shams Charania Roasted For Tweeting Wrong Damian Lillard Trade

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Damian Lillard Says “Farewell” To Portland With New Single

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As Damian Lillard prepares for life in Milwaukee, he had one last message for the Blazers faithful. Lillard released a new single, “Farewell”, under his Dame D.O.L.L.A. musical persona. The low-key track serves, as the title implies, as Lillard’s final message to the fans who have supported him since he went sixth overall in 2012. Furthermore, the track comes just a few weeks after he dropped his fifth studio album, Don D.O.L.L.A. The song includes a bevy of references, including Boogie Cousins and Master P. Furthermore, Lillard also implies that Portland will regret their decision to let him leave.

Elsewhere, Lillard tweeted out a more formal goodbye to the city of Portland. “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🎟,” Lillard wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The replies were full of well-wishers as the Blazer faithful were sad, yet accepting, of their superstar’s departure.

Read More: Jimmy Butler Reacts To Damian Lillard Trade, Wants Bucks Investigated For Tampering

Lillard Finally Joins A Contender

Lillard joined the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a three-team trade this week. The Bucks get Lillard while the the Blazers get Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Jrue Holiday, a first-round pick in 2029, and the right to swap first-rounders in 2028 and 2030. Meanwhile, the Suns, who helped make the trade happen, get Jusuf Nurkić, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson, and Grayson Allen.

If there’s a winner in this trade, it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee’s star has been vocal in recent weeks about the need for the franchise to surround him with talent. Now he has a co-star who was top five in points per game last season and top ten in assists per game. Meanwhile, the Blazers could continue to recoup assets to build themselves into a contender. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that they are already making calls to flip Jrue Holiday as they are committed to their core of young guards.

Read More: Nia Long Calls Out Celtics And Ime Udoka’s Mistress On Instagram

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Damian Lillard “Excited” By Bucks Trade

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Damian Lillard has addressed the news that he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks earlier today. “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🎟,” Lillard wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The replies were full of well-wishers as the Blazer faithful were sad, yet accepting, of their superstar’s departure. Lillard has been a Blazer since they drafted him in 2012.

After months of speculation, Lillard was traded to the Bucks as part of a three-team trade that also included the Phoenix Suns. The Bucks get Lillard while the Suns get Jusuf Nurkić, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson, and Grayson Allen. Meanwhile, the Blazers get Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Jrue Holiday, a first-round pick in 2029 and the right to swap first-rounders in 2028 and 2030. All three picks come from the Bucks.

Read More: Nia Long Calls Out Celtics And Ime Udoka’s Mistress On Instagram

Giannis Finally Gets His Superstar

If there’s a winner in this trade, it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee’s star has been vocal in recent weeks about the need for the franchise to surround him with talent. Now he has a co-star who was top five in points per game last season and top ten in assists per game. Meanwhile, the Blazers could continue to recoup assets to build themselves into a contender. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that they are already making calls to flip Jrue Holiday as they are committed to their core of young guards.

Furthermore, the Bucks immediately solidify their championship aspirations. With a healthy Giannis, Khris Middleton, and Lillard, they are far and away the best team in the East. It’s a perfect situation for first head coach Adrian Griffin. Sadly, this means that barring a historic collapse or miracle season, the window has likely closed for the Miami Heat. Lillard was their missing puzzle piece. Now not only do they have to play without him, but they will have to regularly play against him.

Read More: Golden State Warriors “Close” To Adding Bay Area WNBA Team

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Damian Lillard Traded To The Milwaukee Bucks: Details

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After months of rumors and uncertainty, the Damian Lillard saga is finally at an end, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has reported that Lillard is headed to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a three-team trade that also includes the Phoenix Suns. The Bucks get Lillard while the Suns get Jusuf Nurkić, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson, and Grayson Allen. Meanwhile, the Blazers get Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, Jrue Holiday, a first-round pick in 2029 and the right to swap first-rounders in 2028 and 2030. All three picks come from the Bucks.

The trade, of course, completely leaves out Miami. The Heat had been the only team Lillard had originally been interested in joining. However, Miami was never able to offer a package that satisfied the Blazers. Instead, Giannis gets a new superstar teammate while the Blazers get a rookie starter in Scoot Henderson and a star center in Ayton. Furthermore, Woj also reported that the Blazers are looking to immediately move Holiday as they are “committed to its young group of talented guards”.

Read More: Golden State Warriors “Close” To Adding Bay Area WNBA Team

Giannis Wins The Damian Lillard Trade

If there’s a winner in this trade, it’s Giannis. Milwaukee’s star has been vocal in recent weeks about the need for the franchise to surround him with talent. Now he has a co-star who was top five in points per game last season and top ten in assists per game. Meanwhile, the Blazers could continue to recoup assets to build themselves into a contender. As mentioned, they are already looking to flip Jrue Holiday and build around their young core.

Furthermore, the Bucks immediately solidify their championship aspirations. With a healthy Giannis, Khris Middleton, and Lillard, they are far and away the best team in the East. Sadly, this means that barring a historic collapse or miracle season, the window has likely closed for the Miami Heat. Lillard was their missing puzzle piece. Now not only do they have to play without him, they will have to regularly play against him.

Read More: Angel Reese “Insulted” By ESPN’s WNBA Mock Draft

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Detroit Pistons And Brooklyn Nets Join Damian Lillard Speculation

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Damian Lillard formally requested a trade on July 2, citing the Miami Heat as his preferred destination. However, with Lillard not holding a no-trade clause, the Blazers have been steadfast in seeking the best deal for the team. This has been a problem for the Heat, who haven’t been wowing the Blazers with their Tyler Herro-centric offers. Meanwhile, Lillard’s agent has reportedly been contacting prospective Lillard suitors and telling them to back off. Reportedly, Aaron Gordon has told teams that they would get an “unhappy” version of Lillard if he was sent to a team other than the Heat.

This has led to something of a stalemate. The Blazers are demanding “best offers” only from prospective trade partners will Gordon is trying to force a move to Miami. However, returning to Miami, the Blazers have essentially gone on record to say that either the Heat up their offer or find a third team to add to the trade if Herro is a dealbreaker asset. This has led to a very surprising name entering the trade saga – the Detroit Pistons.

Pistons Could Be Third Team in Lillard Trade

Detroit Pistons
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 09: Hunter and Saint LaVine with Chicago Bulls mascot Benny the Bull after the game against the Detroit Pistons at United Center on April 09, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

Per Chris Hayes, the Pistons could be a team that Miami includes in a trade in order to acquire Lillard. The Pistons skew very young right now, with four of their five projected starters aged 22 or younger. What the Pistons really lack is some more experienced productive talent. Sure, Tyler Herro is only 23. However, he has four seasons of NBA experience and is coming off back-to-back 20+ ppg seasons. Herro would have been the Pistons’ second-highest scorer last year.

However, Herro doesn’t really make sense for the Pistons either, as he’d primarily compete for playing time with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Ivey. A team that makes more sense to include in a three-team trade would be the Brooklyn Nets. Herro would be an upgrade at point guard over Spencer Dinwiddie and the Nets have a buttload of draft capital. While the deal would obviously have a lot of moving parts, the headline acquisitions could be as follows:

  • Miami gets Damian Lillard from Portland
  • Brooklyn gets Tyler Herro from Miami
  • Portland gets draft capital from Brooklyn + player from Miami

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Trail Blazers Tell Teams To “Bring Their Best Offer” For Damian Lillard

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The Portland Trail Blazers have issued a very clear message to teams interested in Damian Lillard. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Blazers are starting to get serious about moving Lillard. “For teams calling about trading for Damian Lillard, the message from the Portland Trail Blazers has been unambiguous: Bring your best offer and make your team our preferred trade destination,” writes Wojnarowski. “General manager Joe Cronin doesn’t plan to operate a transfer portal to the Miami Heat and dutifully deliver history’s greatest Blazer to his targeted team.”

Despite wielding a lot of influence with the Blazers, Damian Lillard has very little tangible power when it comes to this trade. Sure, he can request a trade, but the Blazers hold all the cards that come with that. Lillard is under contract for two years, having already exercised his player option for 2024-25. The 2023/24 season is still months away, meaning that there is very little threat of Lillard sitting out games. Furthermore, Lillard doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract. This means that he gets absolutely no say in where he’s heading either. However, Lillard has made it very clear that his preference is the Miami Heat.

Lillard’s Agent Adds To Drama

Damian Lillard
PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 14: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts to a call during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Moda Center on March 14, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. The New York Knicks won 123-107. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

However, there may be an additional angle to all of this stemming from Dame’s camp. In the same ESPN+ article in which Woj revealed the Blazers’ message, the veteran reporter also dropped another bomb. Dame’s agent, Aaron Gordon, has reportedly been attempting to engineer a trade to Miami. According to Woj, Gordon has been “calling prospective trade partners” and “warning against trading for his client”. Woj continues that Gordon has told teams that they will be getting an “unhappy” version of Dame if he isn’t traded to the Heat.

So why won’t the Blazers simply trade Lillard to Miami? Firstly, it’s about saving face for the organization. They have royally screwed the Lillard situation, failing to build anything resembling a contender around their generational talent. As a result of this, the Blazers can’t simply acquiesce to Lillard’s preferred trade partner without looking powerless. Furthermore, the Heat are very eager to include Tyler Herro in a deal for Lillard. Unfortunately, the Blazers have absolutely no interest in acquiring Herro. That means Miami would need to find a third team to trade with and build a three-team package the Blazers would actually want. Regardless, it doesn’t look like the Lillard situation is getting resolved anytime soon.

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Damian Lillard Creates Impromptu Music Video With His Blazers Teammates

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Damian Lillard is one of the best players in the world right now. Overall, he is the main person who has been able to carry the Portland Trail Blazers. Even when they are losing, Dame is still able to keep them entertaining. For the most part, his teammates love him. Although he is constantly badgered about leaving Portland, he has decided to remain loyal through it all. He is dedicated to bringing a championship to Portland, and it is hard to imagine a scenario in which he ever leaves.

Recently, Lillard and his teammates got into a pretty bad situation in regard to a team flight. Everyone was stuck on the flight for seven hours on the tarmac, however, they were never able to actually leave. The flight was subsequently canceled, and they now have to try it all again tomorrow. Overall, it was a bad situation to be in, however, Lillard and his teammates made the most of it. As you can see in the clip down below, the entire team made an impromptu music video as Lillard showed off his signature rapping ability.

Damian Lillard Raps

For those of you who may be in the dark, Lillard raps under the name Dame D.O.L.L.A. He has released various projects under this pseudonym, and fans are always excited about new songs. From the video up above, it is clear that Lillard wanted to showcase his ability to come up with lyrics in a short amount of time. While reading off his phone, Dame came through with some clever bars, and you can tell the whole team was feeling it. “Had to get on Cam (camera) cuz my beanie is reddish/ and she know like her BADJI @ibou_dianko_badji_ (body) that’s a fetish/ when she bend and arci that’s my favorite present/ when she want her boots Knox’d I’m in heaven,” he rapped.

Hopefully, today, the Blazers’ flight is able to get off the ground. Being stuck on a plane that can’t get in the air is an all-time bad situation. Thankfully for Dame, he has teammates around him who can make any situation an entertaining one. Let us know what you think of Dame’s bars, down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the NBA.

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