Damian Lillard surprisingly returns to the Portland Trail Blazers after spending just two seasons in Milwaukee. The Bucks made an all-in move to acquire Lillard, which was an overly aggresive decision that backfired as it resulted in consecutive first-round playoff exits. This offseason, Milwaukee compounded that mistake and sacrificed even more of its future to Portland's benefit.
Blazers continue to capitalize on Bucks' impatience
The Bucks decided to waive and stretch Lillard's remaining $113 million over the next five seasons. Milwaukee has this pressure to win now with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (while he's still on the roster) and waived Lillard to clear enough cap space to sign free agent Myles Turner to a four-year, $108 million deal.