Upon signing center Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million contract earlier this month, the Milwaukee Bucks waived point guard Damian Lillard in a salary cap-clearing move that stretches the remaining $115 million left on his deal over the next five seasons.
Lillard, 34, is set to miss the upcoming NBA campaign due to a torn Achilles tendon he suffered this past postseason. Still, parting ways with him is a "tough loss," according to Doc Rivers:
"Dame [is] just a great dude," the Bucks' head coach said while speaking with ESPN at the NBA Summer League on Thursday. "Forget the basketball part. He's done everything right throughout his career. He's done anything a franchise can ask for a guy if you're trying to win ... Obviously, we weren't gonna have him this year coming up, with the injury, but you don't just lose the player, you lose the person. And so that's a tough loss for your franchise when you lose that."
You can check out Rivers' full interview here:
Over his two seasons in Milwaukee, Lillard averaged 24.6 points, seven assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game while earning two consecutive All-Star Game nods. He's now a free agent and can sign anywhere as he continues his post-surgery rehab.
As for the Bucks, they'll continue to try and build around their star in Giannis Antetokounmpo—who was reportedly "not pleased" with the team's decision to waive Lillard.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bucks Coach Doc Rivers Breaks Silence on 'Tough' Damian Lillard Decision.
