NBA Rumors: Would Bucks trade Damian Lillard if season ends in disappointment?

NBA Rumors: Would the Milwaukee Bucks explore trading Damian Lillard if this season ended in disappointment in the NBA Playoffs?

Heading into this season, the duo of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo with the Milwaukee Bucks was supposed to be the most lethal in the league. However, that never seemed to consistently come to full fruition this season.

Just a month ago, it was reported that Lillard was still looking for his comfort zone in the Bucks' offense. If that is indeed the truth, it's easy to see why he's struggled so much this season. If Lillard still isn't comfortable yet, it's only natural for him to struggle. The big question is whether any of that changes for Lillard and the Bucks over the next few weeks.

Because if it doesn't, that likely means the Bucks' season is going to end in disappointment. And with the chance that Giannis could miss the start of the NBA Playoffs, there's naturally going to be even more pressure on Lillard to step up in a big way in the postseason. But if he's unable to answer the call and the Bucks do end up losing prematurely in the playoffs, you can't help but wonder what could that mean for the team heading into the offseason.

One recent report suggested that Lillard is not happy in Milwaukee. While it's impossible to know that for sure, if there's any semblance of truth to that, I wonder if that could open the Bucks to another possible blockbuster trade this offseason. Would the Bucks explore trading Lillard if the offseason arrives and the move has been deemed a bust and if Lillard privately tells the front office that he isn't happy? If nothing else, it does make you think.

The Milwaukee Bucks have their future on the line heading into the NBA Playoffs

It's not outrageous to believe that the Bucks have their future on the line heading into the postseason. Losing in the first or second round would be considered a huge failure for the team. When the Bucks acquired Lillard during the offseason, the belief was that they would emerge as one of the favorites to win the 2024 NBA Championship.

They just haven't responded in that way at all this year. And it's led them to this point in which they've been underwhelming for much of the season.

The next few weeks could go a long way in answering many questions about this team's future. It could also tell us what Lillard's future may or may not be in Milwaukee.