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Former NBA Champion Matt Barnes Says Damian Lillard’s Better Off With Bucks Than Heat

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Updated09 Oct 2023

Former NBA Champion Matt Barnes Says Damian Lillards Better Off With Milwaukee Bucks Than Miami Heat

Former 2017 NBA champion Matt Barnes, also the host of “All The Smoke” podcast, believes ex-Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has a better chance of winning a title with the Milwaukee Bucks than he would with the Miami Heat.

Barnes, 43, was asked by TMZ Sports last week about the Lillard trade, while at the 5th Annual KiKi Shepard Celebrity Golf Classic. Although the new Bucks guard was never traded to South Beach like he requested, the seven-time All-Star should be excited to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Prior to the Lillard trade, NBA betting sites showed the Milwaukee Bucks with fourth-shortest odds to win the 2024 NBA championship — trailing the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, and Phoenix Suns. Now, sportsbooks have the Bucks as the odds-on favorite.


“I’m excited for Dame,” Barnes said. “Obviously he wanted to go to Miami. That didn’t happen, but for him to have the opportunity to win, I think is the key and the goal and him teaming up with Giannis [Antetokounmpo] is definitely gonna give him a great opportunity to win a championship.

“I think probably even a better opportunity than he would had in Miami.”

After the Trail Blazers traded Lillard to Milwaukee, sportsbooks also dropped the Miami Heat’s odds. Miami went from fifth-best odds down to seventh shortest overall.

Ex-Golden State Warriors star Matt Barnes believes Damian Lillard has better odds of winning a ring with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks rather than with Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat

Will the Bucks win a title with Lillard? Milwaukee won its first NBA championship in 50 years in the 2021 NBA Finals against the Suns. Last season, an eighth-seeded Heat team upsetted the No. 1-ranked Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.

Furthermore, the Heat have reached the NBA Finals twice since the 2020 season. Miami has advanced to the Finals seven times this century. Nevertheless, the Eastern Conference contender fell short both times under coach Erik Spoelstra.

For a quick comparison, the Celtics have three Finals appearances since 2000.

During the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Heat star Jimmy Butler became the fifth player in league history to record at least 25 points on 50% shooting in six straight games of a postseason — joining LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Bernard King, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (twice).

With the addition of Lillard, the Bucks could avenge their first-round series loss to Miami in 2024.

“Bucks are high,” Matt Barnes added. “It’s gonna be a fun season. The East is very strong, and the West is strong, so I’m really excited for the season to get started.”

 

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