Back on April 27, what had already been a rough and injury-marred ending to the season for point guard Damian Lillard got a whole lot rougher and more injury-marred. It was not known at the time, but the Bucks would later choose to exercise their right to waive and stretch Lillard,

The Bucks won their division in Lillard's first year and locked up the Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed prior to a first-round upset. They finished fifth in the conference last season and fell to the eventual NBA runner-up Indiana Pacers in the opening round. And with that, Lillard's chances of earning a ring before his eventual retirement dwindled.