However, the team never got adequate time to prepare for the regular season together due to the trade happening right before training camp began. Lillard, too, was dealing with a very public and messy divorce which he admitted affected his play on the court.
The Milwaukee Bucks were easily one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA last season. After acquiring All-Star point guard Damian Lillard from the Portland Trailblazers for Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen, many expected Milwaukee to dominate the regular season. After all, the combination of Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, in theory, should be one of the most unstoppable duos in the NBA.
Of course, the Bucks also had some instability with the head coaching job during the 2023-24 NBA season. After firing Mike Budenholzer following a first-round exit in the NBA Playoffs, Milwaukee hired former Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin to be their head coach.
In short, it did not work out and Griffin was fired midway through the season despite a 30-13 record. The Bucks replaced him with Doc Rivers who finished the season 17-19, but only had Giannis, Lillard, and Khris Middleton healthy and playing together for a grand total of six games.
Milwaukee finished the season 49-33 and with the third seed in the Eastern Conference. However, they could not overcome the loss of Giannis, a two-time NBA MVP, to a soleus strain. He missed the entire series while Lillard was limited with a nagging Achilles injury.
These ailments, along with inadequate supporting players, led to the Bucks’ second-straight first round exit in the NBA Playoffs.
In general manager Jon Horst’s defense, he did not know that the Bucks would have a shot at trading for Lillard until after he had already constructed the roster around Giannis. It was clear early on that Milwaukee did not have the right combination of players to compliment both superstars.
With very little options this summer in terms of salary cap space, the Bucks were able to make three popular free agent signings. Horst was able to sign point guard Delon Wright, forward Taurean Prince, and guard Gary Trent Jr. to veteran minimum deals.
Wright will slide in as Lillard’s backup point guard, a role he had last season with the Washington Wizards and Miami Heat. He is coming off of a year in which he shot 37% from three while averaging 4.5 points and 2.5 assists in just over 15 minutes per game.
Prince is coming to Milwaukee after spending last season playing for Darvin Ham (who is back with the Bucks on Rivers’ coaching staff) and the Los Angeles Lakers. He shot just under 40% from three while averaging 8.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Trent is expected to take over the starting shooting guard spot that was vacated by Malik Beasley, who signed with the Detroit Pistons in free agency, Last season, Trent shot 39% from three while averaging 13.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game for the Raptors.
Improved shooters on the perimeter and more scoring off the bench, along with a healthier team, will hopefully lead to a great deal of improvement in the 2024-25 season.
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