After nearly three months of trade talks, former Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard was finally dealt recently. The Miami Heat were seen as the frontrunners to acquire him, but he was ultimately traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a shocking 3-team NBA deal that also involved the Phoenix Suns. The Blazers then traded star Jrue Holiday to the Boston Celtics in another surprise deal.
The Celtics are trading Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, 2024 GSW 1st, 2029 unprotected BOS first to the Blazers, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/gx53jyH1RG
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 1, 2023
Those moves dramatically changed the outlook of several NBA teams heading into next season. The Bucks, who appeared to be heading in the wrong direction after finishing with the best record in the league last season, now look like the team to beat.
The Suns, who already had a big offseason, cashed in their last remaining trade asset, Deandre Ayton, for depth. Meanwhile, the Blazers hit the reset button on their franchise in a big way, allowing them to enter a new era with potential star Scoot Henderson. But who are the winners and losers of the Holiday deal? Let’s take a look.