Damian Lillard’s stunning exit from the Milwaukee Bucks has been the talk of the town since free agency started. No one saw the 34-year-old point guard getting waived by the Bucks during the offseason. However, the Milwaukee front office decided to go ahead with this bold move after landing Myles Turner through the free agent market. Although the fans and media did not know about this massive move, the question everyone’s asking since yesterday is, was Giannis Antetokounmpo in the loop?

Well, it seems we have our answer today. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported on Antetokounmpo’s involvement with Dame’s exit from Milwaukee. “They did inform Giannis that they were doing this,” Shelburne said on Wednesday’s edition of ‘NBA Today’. “Did they tell him they were waiving Damian Lillard in order to facilitate this? I don’t know the answer to that, but he did know about Myles Turner. I think he was excited about Myles Turner, because he’s played against him, and he knows how good he is. He does so many things well that they need on this team.”

Although this statement from the ESPN reporter is a huge revelation in itself, it was Damian Lillard’s reaction to this clip that is turning a lot of heads. The former Milwaukee star reacted to this news with a GIF from a not-so-popular movie, “Nacho Libre,” to show his disappointment with the report. It seems like things are not going so well between the two former teammates, given Dame’s sudden exit from the team.

When Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo joined hands back in 2023, they were tipped to be the next big duo in the league, for obvious reasons. Teaming up Giannis’ two-way threat with Dame’s shooting range and clutch shot-making ability, it was a match made in heaven. However, unfortunately, injuries halted their progress, and the duo never really took off, forcing the franchise to break it up even before we could really see them at their true full potential.

Meanwhile, this wasn’t the only revelation that has surfaced since yesterday about Damian Lillard’s shocking exit from Wisconsin, as an NBA Insider has revealed another layer of this stunning move.

NBA Insider reveals issues between Damian Lillard and the Bucks’ management

Damian Lillard was blindsided. This should exactly sum up the 34-year-old point guard’s current situation. Although you’d expect fans to be stunned by this news, no one would expect the player who’s being waived to be this surprised. However, in Dame’s case, he did know what was coming for him. It’s truly heartbreaking to see a player of Dame’s stature getting this type of treatment from the team he risked playing through injury for. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Behind the scenes, things haven’t been going well between Lillard and a few people from the organization for a while now. NBA Insider Chris Haynes has sent shockwaves through the NBA world after revealing what was going on in Milwaukee. “So, I was informed that Aaron Goodwin, Damian Lillard’s agent, about a month ago, reached out to the Bucks and informed them that Damian would like to rehab back home in Portland, stay with his kids, and rehab back in Portland,” Haynes reported. 

Seems like a genuine request. However, a few people within the organization did not share this thought. “And I was told that some people within the Bucks did not approve of that, and so there was kind of some back and forth right there. Damian wanted to be with his kids and rehab, that’s what he’s doing right now. And so I think that might have got the ball rolling, or at least put some ideas in the heads of the Milwaukee Bucks that kind of led to this decision.” Haynes revealed. 

That’s shocking news to say the least. If what Haynes has reported is true, it doesn’t look good for the Milwaukee Bucks’ future. Damian Lillard is one of the most respected veterans around the league, and he was treated this way? It now seems like the team waiving Dame was more than just a cap-clearing move. Instead, it seems like a cold, calculated departure from the city. Nonetheless, Damian can solely focus on his rehab now, besides cherishing his sneaker journey, and weigh in on his options before making a return.