NBA Rumors: Damian Lillard could leave the Bucks soon

Last summer,Damian Lillard was the most talked-about player in NBA circles. He was finally on his way out of the Portland Trail Blazers, with the Miami Heat as his preferred destination.

Eventually, his wish wasn’t granted, as he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks instead. Needless to say, the prospect of having him play with Giannis Antetokounmpo was promising, to say the least.

Fast forward to today, and it doesn’t seem like things have worked out. His numbers took a slight dip, and his overall demeanor has changed since arriving in Milwaukee.

Damian Lillard Is Unhappy In Milwaukee

With that in mind, ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith claimed that he wouldn’t be shocked if the Bucks were to trade him in the summer, as he’s clearly not happy there:

“If Milwaukee loses, I think you need to consider moving Dame up and out of there,” Smith said on ESPN‘s First Take. “I’m not talking about his game. He’s not happy there.”

Lillard Has ‘A Lot To Deal With’

Smith explained that, according to his sources, Lillard’s unhappiness in Milwaukee has nothing to do with basketball, citing that he has ‘a lot to deal with’ at the moment:

“He’s got a lot of distractions, which are his business, and we wish him nothing but the best, because a lot of us would not be able to handle it as well as he’s handling it,” Smith said. “But nevertheless, whatever support system you’re looking for. It’s one of those situations where if you are not happy in a situation, albeit because of outside reasons, and I know he wanted to go to Miami, let’s call it what it is, you got all of that going on, that’s a lot to deal with.”

At the end of the day, Lillard is a pro’s pro, and he’s going to show up and do his job. But if things didn’t work out the way both parties expected them to work out, there’s no need to drag this decision any further.