Damian Lillard Reportedly Could've Been Focus of Bucks Trade Talks Before Injury

Before star point guard Damian Lillard tore his Achilles tendon in Game 4 of their first-round series loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly planned to explore whether it would've been best to trade him this offseason.

According to The Athletic's Eric Nehm and Sam Amick, "Had Lillard remained healthy, and had the Bucks still fallen in the first round, league sources say there would have been discussions about whether Lillard wanted to remain in Milwaukee."

The Bucks' season ended with Tuesday night's overtime loss to the Pacers in Game 5 of their first-round series. Lillard suffered his injury just six minutes into Game 4, derailing Milwaukee's chances of making a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.

Nehm and Amick explained that Lillard and star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo showed signs of improvement in their connection throughout the season, but it wasn't enough to overcome the team's roster deficiencies. The Bucks finished sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 48-34 record and struggled to keep up against elite teams, leading to questions about whether Lillard should remain part of the team's future.

"The relationship between Antetokounmpo and Lillard is strong, as is the respect level, but the imperfections of their on-court pairing remained in their second season together," Nehm and Amick wrote. "And with the group’s collective limitations growing more evident by the month, a conversation was looming about whether Lillard and the Bucks might be better off parting ways."

Instead, Lillard is looking at a lengthy recovery over the next year. He will turn 35 in July, so it will be an uphill battle for him to make his way back to the court next season.