Hours Before Getting Traded for Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday Revealed His Desire to Retire as a Buck

The Milwaukee Bucks shocked the world after they traded one of their biggest assets to acquire the 7-time All-Star Damian Lillard. The three-team blockbuster deal between the Milwaukee Bucks, the Phoenix Suns, and the Portland Trail Blazers saw several big names traded to a new team. The biggest names in the trade were Damian Lillard, DeAndre Ayton, and Jrue Holiday. The three players proved key in their previous team?s success and will now be seen wearing a new uniform.

Even though the Milwaukee Bucks were the biggest winners in the trade, acquiring Damian Lillard, they will not be too happy letting go of one of the most elite defenders in the league. Hours before Jrue Holiday was traded to the Blazers, he even revealed his desire to remain a Buck for life.

Jrue Holiday did not want to be traded

Jrue Holiday joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020 and had an instant impact on the team. With his elite defense and playmaking skills, Holiday helped Giannis Antetokounmpo?end Milwaukee?s 50-year Championship drought in 2021. He was a key contributor in Milwaukee?s 2021 Championship win, averaging 17.3 points, 8.7 assists, and 1.7 steals in the 2021 playoffs. Finding instant success as part of the Milwaukee Bucks squad, Holiday had no plans of leaving the city for the rest of his career.

Hours before getting traded for Dame D.O.L.L.A, Holiday said in an interview, ?Before I even won here I think I said I?m a Buck for life and I mean that like deep in my heart. I don?t want to play for any other team. I think we have a chance to continue to do great things as the Bucks team and organization so I want to be in Milwaukee.? So, it definitely came as a shock when the veteran guard was traded the very next day. That is the brutality of the NBA business as players can never be certain about their future.

The Milwaukee Bucks will miss Jrue Holiday

The absence of Jrue Holiday could prove to be a big void in the Milwaukee Bucks’ new roster. He was a defensive anchor and an elite playmaker for the team and helped The Greek Freak unleash his full potential. Many of Holiday?s opponents have called him the best defender in the league. Even though the addition of Damian Lillard brings lethal offense to the team, the Milwaukee Bucks will miss the defensive presence of Jrue.

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In only 3 years in Milwaukee, Holiday left a huge impact on the team and will be considered one of the greats of the Bucks franchise. He helped the Bucks end their Championship drought, and who knows, one day his number might hang in the rafters alongside his co-stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

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