Lillard s agent: Lillard s performance is restricted around Antetokounmpo s playing style, and only fights to win in the system

On August 9, Lillard's agent Allen Goodwin said in an interview that the Bucks' playing style created by two-time MVP and nine-time All-Star player Antetokounmpo limits Lillard's performance on both offense and defense.

Goodwin said: "Lillard never really had the chance to play like he did in his first 12 years of his career. He just fought to win in the system he was in." Before the 2023-24 season began, the Milwaukee Bucks got Lillard through a three-party deal. They thought Lillard would be the key puzzle for the team to get rid of their Eastern Conference competitors. But in the end, that's not the case.

Lillard performed well in his first season in Milwaukee, but the Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. In the 2024-25 season, he was selected for the All-Star for the second consecutive year. However, the Bucks' playoff record was not only exactly the same as the previous year, but Lillard also missed many games due to a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and tore his left Achilles tendon in late April.

This year's offseason, the Bucks decided to quit Lillard. Lillard has since signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Trail Blazers to return to Portland.