One of the toughest calls in the offseason when the Milwaukee Bucks gave up Damian Lillard to clear the hat space, head coach Doc Rivers knew how much the loss was.
“The lady [is] Just a great guy,” Rivers told ESPN during Thursday’s NBA Summer League. “Forgot the basketball game. He did everything throughout his career. If you want to win, anything he does can ask a person to ask a person… Obviously, we won’t show him up with injury this year, but not only you lost the player, but you lost the person. So when you lose that franchise, it’s a huge loss to your franchise. ”
The 34-year-old was released after signing Myles Turner in Milwaukee to sign a four-year, $107 million contract.
The move brought Lillard’s remaining $115 million in five seasons, which made the Bucks’ financial flexibility even more advanced.
During his two years at Milwaukee, Lillard averaged 24.6 points, seven assists and 4.5 rebounds per game while having two consecutive All-Star games. However, his time from the Bucks ended with uncertainty as he recovered from the torn Achilles rehabilitation he suffered in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Giannis Antetokounmpo was “not satisfied” with the decision to abandon Lillard, adding to the next step for the Bucks.
Lillard is now a free agent who will focus on recovery while considering his next move.
As for the Bucks, they built all-out around Antetokounmpo, but Doc Rivers admits that losing an existence like Lillard is not easy to replace.
Read more: Giannis Antetokounmpo solves his future with Bucks
