PORTLAND, Ore. — On Wednesday night, for the first time since he entered the league in 2012, Damian Lillard will take the Moda Center court in a uniform that doesn't have Portland, Blazers, Rip City, PDX, Oregon or the Blazers pinwheel logo emblazoned across the front.
It's going to be a strange sight.
Lillard, who was traded to Milwaukee in late September after spending his first 11 seasons in Portland, will lead the Bucks against the Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. It's not the first game for Lillard against his former team; that happened in Milwaukee in November, a six-point win by the Bucks. But this will be Lillard's first game back in Portland, playing on the Moda Center court, since the trade.
The beloved former Blazer is in a completely different situation with his new team than what he left behind in Portland. The Bucks (32-15) are in second place in the Eastern Conference, a legitimate championship contender. The Blazers (14-33) have the fifth-worst record in the league, a contender for one of the top picks in next summer's NBA draft.
This was the path chosen by both sides. After the Blazers drafted Scoot Henderson with the third overall pick last summer and didn't do anything to upgrade the roster at the opening of free agency, Lillard requested a trade on July 1 after hinting at it for months. It took until late September, but he was eventually shipped to Milwaukee to pair with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
At a Tuesday event on the Adidas campus in Portland, Lillard talked about his time with the Blazers, calling it "great." He said he loved the organization and the people he worked with for 11 years.
"I think what made it the hardest is it wasn't a broken relationship," he said of parting ways with the Blazers. "The reason (the trade) all came about in the first place was for a chance to win it all. We couldn't be at that place at the same time. ... I come back with love."
He said he's excited about Wednesday's game.
"I'm excited to be back in the Moda Center. I played so many games there, I recognize fans' faces from the court," Lillard said. "Seeing their faces, being back in the building, being back home — I'm excited to play the game. I'm going to play the game free."
Without Lillard, Portland has shifted to a full-scale rebuild, with a youthful core centered around players like Anfernee Simons, Deandre Ayton, Shaedon Sharpe and Henderson, complemented by veterans like Jerami Grant and Malcolm Brogdon, not to mention a treasure chest of future draft picks. The Blazers aren't good this season and may not be good for another season or two after that, but they have some building blocks to start a successful rebuild.
Lillard, who was voted an All-Star starter for the first time in his career this season, is averaging about 25 points, seven assists and four rebounds in his first season in Milwaukee. Nobody can replace Lillard, but Simons, who took Lillard's starting position at point guard, is having a good season, averaging about 23 points, five assists and three rebounds for Portland.
As for Henderson, the teenage point guard has had an up-and-down rookie season with the Blazers, averaging about 12 points and five assists per game, while mostly coming off the bench. On Tuesday, he was named to the NBA Rising Stars team for All-Star weekend.
Are there tickets left? How much do they cost?
As of Wednesday evening, there are still tickets available through trailblazers.com if you want to attend the game in person. The lowest price listed for a ticket is $69 (before fees) in the 300 level. The highest price listed is $1,300 for courtside seats. On Tuesday, there was a listing for a pair of courtside seats for $5,000, but those tickets are now gone. Tickets can also be purchased through various ticket resale websites like Stubhub, SeatGeak, Vivid Seats, among others.
What if I can't make it? How do I watch the game?
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS. MILWAUKEE BUCKS
- What: Trail Blazers (14-33) vs. Bucks (32-15), 7 p.m., Wednesday
- Where: Moda Center, Portland
- Radio: Rip City Radio 620 AM
- TV: ESPN (channel 735 Comcast Xfinity; channel 206 DirecTV), Root Sports (channel 734 Comcast Xfinity; channel 687 DirecTV); Root Sports Plus (channel 1253 Comcast Xfinity; channel 688 DirecTV)
- Stream online: Fubo (free trial)
- Injuries: Blazers: Moses Brown (out; wrist); Robert Williams (out; knee); Shaedon Sharpe (out; abdominal). Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo (questionable; illness).