Damian Lillard set the basketball world abuzz earlier this offseason when he announced his wish to leave the Portland Trail Blazers, stating unequivocally his preference to only join the Miami Heat. The situation became trickier with reports suggesting that Lillard might not fully honor his player contract if he’s traded to a franchise other than Miami Heat.
Then, after a long summer filled with rumors and speculations, the Damian Lillard saga came to an end. The coveted Blazers superstar is now with the Milwaukee Bucks, thanks to a three-team trade which also moved key players like Jrue Holiday, DeAndre Ayton and Jusuf Nurkic.
Before the Bucks caught everyone by surprise however, it was the Toronto Raptors who slowly climbed up the favorites ladder in the Lillard sweepstakes. Raptors forward OG Anunoby used these rumors to mess with Lillard some days before his actual trade, and sent him a text message that read ‘welcome to Toronto’.
