Damian Lillard's agent criticizes Bucks for limiting star guard's production

When the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Damian Lillard in a three-team deal ahead of the 2023-24 season, they thought he would be the piece that put them firmly ahead of their Eastern Conference competitors. That, ultimately, did not prove to be the case.

Lillard had a strong first year in Milwaukee, but the Bucks suffered a first-round exit in the playoffs. He delivered a second-straight All-Star campaign in 2024-25, but not only did the Bucks' lack of postseason success mirror that of the previous year, but Lillard missed extended time due to deep vein thrombosis in his right calf before tearing his left Achilles tendon in late April.

The Bucks cut their losses with Lillard this offseason, as they decided to waive him on July 6. Lillard has since signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, the team he spent the first 11 years of his NBA career with.

Lillard's move to Portland didn't stop his agent, Aaron Goodwin, from sharing parting words with the Bucks. Goodwin claimed that their playing style, which centered around two-time MVP and nine-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, limited Lillard's production on both offense and defense.

"He never really had an opportunity to play as he has played the first 12 years of his career," Goodwin told ESPN reporter Jamal Collier. "He played to win in the system that he was in."

Despite the Bucks' offense heavily revolving around Antetokounmpo — and understandably so — Lillard remained a key contributor in his two years with the franchise. He averaged 24.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game during the regular season (numbers that adjusted to 31.3 and 5.0, respectively, during the playoffs) in 2023-24; one year later, Antetokounmpo and Lillard were the highest-scoring duo in the league when healthy.

But as far as next season is concerned, Antetokounmpo's future with the Bucks is uncertain, while Lillard could miss the entire 2025-26 season recovering from his injury. And with the Lillard experiment in Milwaukee firmly in the rearview mirror, it beckons the question of whether it's one of the NBA's most significant "what if" scenarios in recent memory.