Sam Amick and the man himself weigh in on how Dame is feeling after being cut by the Bucks
When Damian Lillard was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks in an unprecedented and mind-blowing decision, a chorus of emotions was sure to follow. We heard from Chris Haynes shortly after the move that Giannis was “not pleased” and “didn’t like how it was handled” (more news on that front is sure to come soon), and now we know how Lillard himself is feeling.
Sam Amick, senior writer at The Athletic, reported yesterday that Lillard is “elated” with the decision, which was certainly not the expected reaction. The reason for that, according to Amick, is that the nine-time All-Star is now in “the kind of basketball-first position that few All-Star level players, if any, have experienced in league history”. What he means by that is Lillard could, if he wanted, sign with any team in the league for a salary as low as the vet minimum, as he’ll still be getting max contract money from the Bucks no matter what for the foreseeable future. Basically, Dame must be feeling like Thanos when he said, “now, reality can be whatever I want”.
For an aging star who hasn’t had much of a chance to compete for championships in his career, being able to essentially handpick his next home has to be incredibly exciting for Lillard. The Athletic reported this morning that the Warriors, Celtics, and Lakers have already been in touch with him, and other contenders will likely follow suit. However, Dame’s decision will be bigger than basketball for him. According to Haynes, Lillard’s agent informed the Bucks about a month ago that he wants to rehab in Portland with his kids. By all accounts, the Oakland native is a family man, and he’ll now have the opportunity to choose the perfect home for him and his children.
While the exact reason can only be speculated about for now, we know that Lillard is excited for sure, as evidenced by his repost of an Instagram reel discussing this as the best case for him. He also posted this quote:
Could he be hinting at taking a year for himself to rehab from his Achilles injury instead of signing with a new team right away? Who knows. Nevertheless, it’s reassuring to hear that Dame is in good spirits after this unexpected basketball breakup. He gave his all to Milwaukee while he was here, and fans should want nothing but the best for him moving forward.