From Rip City to Brew City

Well, the Blazers have sent Damian Lillard, one of their greatest players ever, off to Milwaukee in a trade. It's the end of an era. The era of talking about Lillard being traded, that is. It's dragged on for what seems like an eternity.

Lillard will join Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak, in what's bound to be quite a pick-and-roll duo for the Bucks. The Blazers get Deandre Ayton, a mildly underachieving big man from Phoenix, and Jrue Holiday from Milwaukee, with a bunch of filler flying in all directions. Everybody expects that Holiday will be traded in short order for somebody else. Big Joe Nurkic transports his spotty game from Portland to Phoenix.

So right about now is when the talk starts up in Portland about how the young Blazers will be "fun to watch," and how promising their futures are. Meh. With Chauncey Billups coaching them, I expect nothing but continued mediocrity. I'd be surprised if Portland isn't tanking yet again come March. Which is why Lillard wanted out. Although I believe hiring the inept Billups was Dame's idea to begin with.

Anyway, he didn't get the trade he wanted, to Miami, which is fair. If he wanted to control his location, he shouldn't have signed a contract extension that didn't include a no-trade clause. He said he wanted to play for a title contender, and heck, with him and Giannis on the same side, it's hard to see how Milwaukee won't be one. There could be some issues – with the Bucks, everything goes through Giannis, and with the Blazers, everything has gone through Dame – but if those get ironed out satisfactorily, look out.

I spent some time in Milwaukee many years ago, and still have some friends there. They're in for a treat. I just hope they're not expecting any defense out of the guy.

Now if only we here in Portlandia could trade owners with somebody. And get the lease deal on the arena worked out with the City Hall bobbleheads before someone gets the bright idea of moving the team.