The Milwaukee Bucks acquired Damian Lillard in a three-team trade with the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. The trade worked out for all the teams involved in the end. However, Lillard's former Blazers teammate CJ McCollum was shocked by the deal.

“I was very surprised,” McCollum said of the trade while speaking on ESPN, via ClutchPoints. “I was stunned. Obviously Dame is my guy… we kind of knew something was going to happen. I didn't expect Milwaukee, I don't know that he expected Milwaukee… Milwaukee makes a lot of sense. If you really think about what he said his goals and aspirations were in terms of winning a championship. But I will say, just like the rest of the world, I was shocked and I was interested in seeing who was involved in the deal.”

Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum both officially out of Portland

The Blazers had a playoff-caliber team with Lillard and McCollum previously leading the charge. Together, the two formed one of the best backcourts in the NBA.

McCollum was ultimately traded away during the 2021-22 season. He's now a leader for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Trading McCollum made many wonder when Lillard would get dealt away. He had continued to display loyalty to the Blazers, but winning was also important. Sure enough, Damian Lillard finally requested a trade this offseason. After initially being linked to the Miami Heat, the superstar guard is now headed to the Bucks.

The Blazers, meanwhile, are headed toward a completely new era. Their rebuild is underway and Portland features an intriguing core of young players.