After losing in the first round for the third straight year and seeing All-Star Damian Lillard tear his Achilles after fighting to return to the floor, the Bucks knew they had to make some uncomfortable decisions. The main goal of the offseason was to stay competitive in the East and keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy.

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,

Damian Lillard is now a Portland Trail Blazer for the second time, having re-signed with the team that drafted him in 2012 after he was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks on July 6. It was the end of a two-year sojourn with the Bucks, which unfortunately did not land him the championship he sought after asking to be traded out of Portland in 2023.