The Milwaukee Bucks were sent packing in the first round of the playoffs after the Pacers put a stop to their season with a 4-2 series win. With the disappointment in mind, the obvious question was raised about what the next season holds for the Bucks. Damian Lillard’s future was a part of the conversation, and now he has responded to the speculations.
Damian Lillard (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Damian Lillard took to his social media account and posted a series of pictures along with a cryptic message. The caption read, “The plot thickens every time I get adversity… I’m executing all the shit my pops use to rehearse with me. Stay tuned,” followed by two emojis.
According to Sportac, Damian Lillard has a contract with the Bucks running through 2026/27 and will earn $58 million. With Giannis Antetokounmpo absent in the playoffs through injury, the onus of pulling the team was on Lillard. Despite his injury, Dame scored 31.3 points per game in the series but could not save the franchise from an early exit. After the game 6 loss, the 33-year-old could only lament the unfortunate injuries that cost them the series.
Damian Lillard Looks Back at First Season With Bucks
Damian Lillard scored 28 points from 43.8% shooting in the elimination game against the Pacers. Despite Lillard’s heroics, the Bucks could not cover the Giannis Antetokounmpo-sized hole in the team.
After the game, Lillard talked about his first year with the franchise. He said, “It was a roller-coaster of a year, but I think for me personally, it was a year of growth more than anything. It’s been some hard times. I haven’t denied that one time this year. Basketball and personally, it’s been some hard times, but it’s never been an issue with Milwaukee.”
He added that he got the chance to play with Giannis, and their focus was on the championship, for which he switched to Milwaukee. Lillard said about the injury disappointment of the Greek forward, “It’s definitely disappointing because you know how much better of a team we are when he’s on the floor and how much things change when he’s on the floor.”
Giannis’ injury-ridden end to the season might prompt the former MVP to stay with the Bucks, which might ultimately persuade the 2024 NBA All-Star game MVP to return to Milwaukee next season.
