The Milwaukee Bucks put themselves in a new position when they completed a trade that allowed them to acquire superstar shooting guard Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers. The move has placed the Bucks in the role of favorites to win the NBA's Eastern Conference this season.

The move was something of a surprise, because the expectations were that Lillard would possibly end up with the Miami Heat — his stated destination of choice. However, when the Blazers and the Heat could not come up with an agreeable trade package, the trade market opened up for the spectacular shooter.

Lillard was among those who was surprised to hear about the trade being executed. “Fourteen days ago, my agent called me and he was like ‘What do you think about Milwaukee?’… I knew it was a possibility. I just didn’t think it was actually going to happen.”

The Bucks had a powerful team before the Lillard trade, as evidenced by their status as the top seed in the Eastern Conference last year. However, the Bucks suffered a shocking end to their season when they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Heat.

If the Bucks were difficult to beat with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way a year ago, they appear to be that much harder to contend with now that Damian Lillard is on board.

Antetokounmpo, 2-time Most Valuable Player,  averaged 31.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game last year for the Bucks. Lillard averaged 32.2 points per game while shooting 46.3 percent overall and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc for the Blazers.