Bucks’ Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo to Make Preseason Debut vs. Lakers on Sunday

After missing the Milwaukee Bucks' first two preseason games, new star duo of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo will make their debut in Sunday's preseason matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach Adrian Griffin said on NBA Today on Wednesday.

Lillard has been with Milwaukee for just two weeks after he was traded by the Portland Trailblazers at the center of a blockbuster three-team trade. He has spent all 11 years of his career with the Trailblazers, but requested a trade earlier this year following the NBA Draft.

The seven-time All-Star will team up with two-time MVP Antetokounmpo in hopes of carrying Milwaukee past the point of its first round exit as the No. 1 seed in the 2022-23 playoffs.

Lillard and Antetokounmpo have consistently been two of the top scorers in the league and both averaged more than 30 points per game last season with Lillard finishing at 32.2 and Antetokounmpo at 31.1.

The ex-Blazers star will fill the role of former Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, who was traded to Portland and eventually the Boston Celtics as a product of the Lillard trade. Holiday served as Milwaukee's second option on offense, averaging 19.3 points last season.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to an NBA Championship in 2021, but Lillard never won a ring in Portland. It was one of the reasons he initially requested a trade as the Trailblazers seemed to be heading for a rebuild, and Lillard wanted to have a chance to compete for the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Lilllard and Antetokounmpo are set to face off against the Lakers' star duo in Anthony Davis and LeBron James. It is not confirmed that the two will play on Sunday for Los Angeles, but Davis has appeared in both of the Lakers' preseason games while James played 17 minutes on Monday against the Brooklyn Nets.