Carmelo Anthony doesn’t mince words about Damian Lillard being waived by the Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks moved early in free agency by waiving Damian Lillard. While many fans were caught off-guard, one of the most vocal reactions came from Carmelo Anthony, who expressed support for his former teammate while slamming the Bucks.

Reacting to ESPN’s post reporting the news on X (formerly called Twitter), Anthony had a go at the Bucks front office for waiving the star guard despite his loyalty, voicing his frustration:

“NO LOYALTY IN SPORTS!!!

"BUSINESS PER USUAL!!"

"SMH"

Trending

The Bucks' decision is particularly shocking, considering the sacrifices Lillard made during the tail end of the 2024-25 season. He put his body on the line twice to help them make a title push.

In mid-March, Lillard was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, missing the final 14 games of the regular season and Game 1 of the Bucks’ opening-round playoff series.

He returned to action on April 22. But five days later, Lillard suffered a non-contact injury six minutes into Game 4 and was diagnosed with a career-threatening torn left Achilles tendon.

Lillard completed his two-season stint with the Bucks, averaging 24.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists across 131 regular-season games. The franchise will be required to pay him more than $22 million per season across the next five years.

Bucks’ decision to waive Damian Lillard could also drive Giannis Antetokounmpo out

Not many fans or analysts are on board with the Milwaukee Bucks' surprising decision to waive Damian Lillard. More significantly, Giannis Antetokounmpo is reportedly unhappy with the move.

“Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is not pleased with the team’s decision to waive Damian Lillard, league sources tell me,” insider Chris Haynes tweeted.

Antetokounmpo has been the subject of trade rumors over the past few years. Shams Charania suggests that the two-time MVP might be reconsidering his future in Milwaukee.

“I’m told Giannis Antetokounmpo will continue to evaluate everything. The entire offseason,” Charania said (at 6:26).

“At the end of the offseason, my understanding is Giannis Antetokounmpo will ask himself, he’ll look in the mirror, he’ll look around him, and ask the question, ‘Can I win a championship, a second championship, with this team as currently constructed?’”

The Bucks have already begun their rebuilding phase, replacing Brook Lopez by bringing in Myles Turner on a four-year, $107 million deal.

If Milwaukee secures a high-profile point guard and builds a competitive roster, the "Greek Freak" might choose to stay and make a title push with the team that drafted him.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in the field with The SportsRush.

Advait has a love of basketball that stems from playing the game, and has represented Mumbai North at the Inter-District State Championship and Maharashtra at the ASISC National Games.

His favorite team is the New Orleans Pelicans, although Advait also has an affinity for the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. His favorite player of all time was Kobe Bryant, as the Lakers legend's undeniable talent and mentality were just unignorable. As for players in the current game, Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson, Victor Wembanyama, and Kyrie Irving are top of Advait's list.

When not watching or writing about sports, Advait is a fan of true crime shows, board games and console gaming.

Know More