Giannis Antetokounmpo Wasn’t Told of Damian Lillard Trade Before It Happened, per Report

Damian Lillard was the centerpiece of a three-team blockbuster trade between the Bucks, Trail Blazers and Suns on Wednesday. But although Lillard’s move to Milwaukee received most of the attention, he was just one of eight players involved in the trade. 

One key player the Bucks traded away in the process was defensive stopper Jrue Holiday, a favorite among fans and teammates alike. The guard is headed to Portland, and other teams reportedly are interested in acquiring Holiday from the Blazers.

However, despite Holiday’s stature in Milwaukee’s locker room, the Bucks apparently didn’t inform star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo of Holiday’s inclusion in trade talks beforehand, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

“Directly, he literally played no role,” Wojnarowski said on Thursday’s NBA on ESPN. “In fact, Jon Horst, Milwaukee’s GM, he did not bring this trade idea or sign off on it to Giannis Antetokounmpo because Jrue Holiday was involved, and the relationship there, the reverence this organization and these players have for Holiday. He did not want to put that to Giannis Antetokounmpo and have him have that on his conscious necessarily, that he might sign off or not sign off on it.”

"Directly, he literally played no role."@wojespn on Giannis' involvement in the trade for Dame. pic.twitter.com/MRNrDUVb4N

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 28, 2023

Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks has been up in the air this offseason. However, the 2021 NBA champion admitted recently that he would stay with the Bucks if they commit to winning. Picking up Lillard surely helped in that regard.