Damian Lillard addresses Heat trade request ahead of matchup vs. Miami: ‘I’ve never played on their team’

MILWAUKEE — Damian Lillard had one of the worst video games of his occupation on Sunday within the Milwaukee Bucks’ 127-110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, completing with six issues and 6 turnovers on 2-of-12 taking pictures. The just right news is he’s going to have to attend not up to 24 hours to take the courtroom once more when the Bucks sq. off in opposition to the Miami Heat. 

That is, of path, a loaded matchup for Lillard, who asked a trade to the Heat right through the offseason, however used to be as a substitute dealt to the Bucks in a blockbuster deal, finishing his 11-year run with the Portland Trail Blazers. The veteran guard insisted, on the other hand, that in spite of his anxious summer time and friendship with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, it is going to be simply every other recreation. 

“I’ve never played on their team,” Lillard mentioned. “I mentioned that [it] was the destination for me when I asked to be traded last year, but I was traded here. I’m excited to be here, I’m happy to be here, I fit in great here. For me, personally, that was the end of it. I never thought about it again after that. 

“So I’m no longer going into the following day like ‘this the workforce that I used to be meant to be taking part in for’ or none of that. I do know Jimmy, I do know Bam, we are cool, however I play for the Bucks. I’m no longer going into it like ‘that is my former workforce’ or ‘we used to be tied in’ or not anything like that. It’s every other recreation.”

Lillard additionally downplayed the touch he had with Heat avid gamers akin to Adebayo right through the negotiation procedure. 

“On the outside people made more of it than what was taking place,” Lillard defined. “It’s not like I was calling him every day or nothing like that. I said what I needed to say to the team that I was on at that time, and I went on about my time. I did my training, I spent time with my kids, and that was it. I’m telling you the real when I say it’s not that deep. Bam was my boy before I asked for a trade. He still is, and that was the extent of it.”

The Bucks and Heat will tip-off at 8 p.m. ET on Monday on League Pass. Lillard will likely be taking a look to dance again after atmosphere a file for the most important level differential between a primary and 2nd recreation with a brand new workforce in NBA historical past: 33 issues. He had 39 issues in a gap evening win over the Philadelphia 76ers sooner than scoring simply six in opposition to the Hawks. 

As for the Bucks, they are going to be searching for revenge after the Heat knocked them out of the playoffs within the first spherical remaining season.