Carmelo Anthony Told Damian Lillard 'Our Loyalty Gonna Kill Us' Before Trade to Bucks

Carmelo Anthony gave some advice to superstar Damian Lillard prior to his trade from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 12.

"You was in the same situation I was in, in Denver," Anthony told Lillard prior to the trade (via 7PM in Brooklyn, a Wave Sports + Entertainment Original 13:00 mark). "Our loyalty gonna kill us."

Anthony spent just over seven seasons with the Denver Nuggets before the 10-time All-Star was traded to the New York Knicks in the middle of the 2010-11 campaign.

Lillard was a member of the Trail Blazers for the first 11 seasons of his career, becoming one of the franchise's most iconic players. He currently holds Portland's all-time records in points, free throws, and three-pointers made. Although the Trail Blazers missed the playoffs in his final two seasons with the team, the former No. 6 overall pick remained loyal to the organization before he ultimately demanded a trade this past offseason.

"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," Lillard said after the deal was finalized in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Stay tuned. Excited for my next chapter!"

While Anthony likely wasn't the sole reason that Lillard requested a change of scenery, his opinion certainly holds weight. He currently ranks ninth on the NBA's all-time scoring list and was named to the league's 75th Anniversary Team back in 2021.

Near the end of his career, Anthony spent two seasons in Portland with Lillard from 2019-21. While the former scoring champion was in his mid 30s, he averaged 14.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while canning 39.9 percent of his triples as a member of the Trail Blazers.