There have been rumors swirling that Bucks star Damian Lillard isn’t happy in Milwaukee and Dame himself has addressed them head on.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith made the bold call earlier in the week that if the Bucks don’t win a chip then the franchise should think about trading him because he’s “not happy” and “miserable”.

“I saw somebody say ‘Dame is not happy in Milwaukee’ or something like that,” Lillard told reporters on Friday. “I know the truth.

“I love the situation that I’m in. I also know what I have going on outside of basketball going on that kind of drains me at times. People are going to make comments. People are going to say things.

“And if it doesn’t go the way they said it was going to go, nobody is ever (going to) come to them and say ‘All right, you said this. Now what do you have to say about it?’ They are never held accountable for what they say publicly.”

Lillard has admitted that he’s been struggling with some personal stuff, including moving away from his home and three kids in Portland and getting a divorce from his wife – who he was with for over a decade.

But Dame hasn’t let it show on the court, since he averaged 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and seven assists per gameon 42.4 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from the three.

His regular season averages are slightly lower than they were in Portland last season, but he was a one-man band over there, so it was easier to fill the stat sheet.

Now, Lillard shares the court with another superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star veterans like Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez.

Because of the experience on the Bucks’ squad, there is a lot of pressure on them to perform well in the postseason.

Despite the pressure, Lillard said he enjoys those expectations.

“One thing that I’ve been thinking about all week is I’ve gone my whole career wanting the opportunity to win,” Lillard said. “And I always thought I had a chance to win.

“But being in this situation. I keep taking myself back to how I felt when I got traded here, realizing the opportunity I got in front of me.”

The Brewers return to action Friday evening after an off day Thursday, as they head to St. Louis to battle the Cardinals. St. Louis is 9-10 this season, sitting in last place despite being just three games behind the first-place Brewers and Cubs, who sit at 11-6 and 12-7, respectively.

Freddy Peralta is on the hill for the Brewers, with Sal Frelick, Blake Perkins, and Jackson Chourio making up the outfield from left to right. Gary Sanchez is the DH and Oliver Dunn mans third base.

First pitch is at 7:15 p.m. on Bally Sports Wisconsin and the Brewers Radio Network.

Vicksburg native Sade Robinson was killed and dismembered in Milwaukee earlier this month. Police have now discovered a human torso and arm that they believe belongs to Robinson.

The following press release was recently released:

SOUTH MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is investigating the discovery of human remains Thursday near 3305 Marina Rd., along a remote stretch of tree-lined beach or Lake Michigan, nearly a quarter mile from an apartment complex, where they are believed to have washed ashore.

The torso and arm, found at 7:37 AM by a citizen walking the beach, are believed to be that of Sade Robinson, 19, whom MCSO investigators believe was murdered by Maxwell Anderson, 33, of the 3100 block of S. 39th Street in Milwaukee, on or about April 2.

Maxwell Anderson

Our thoughts and prayers and the full support of this agency remain with Robinson’s family and loved ones, as they grieve and process her tragic loss.

MCSO, in partnership with the Milwaukee Police Department and with assistance from 13 other local, state, and federal agencies, a volunteer organization, and a forensics expert, first began investigating Robinson’s death after a severed human leg was discovered in Warnimont Park in Cudahy on April 2. Within a week, several additional remains were discovered in Milwaukee – all believed, though not yet formally confirmed, to be Robinson.

Anderson has been charged with First Degree Intentional Homicide, Mutilating a Corpse, and Arson of Property Other Than Building, in Robinson’s death. All three charges are felonies and carry a combined maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The investigation into Robinson’s death is ongoing. And even prior to Thursday’s discovery, MCSO had already contracted and scheduled a sonar detection boat to further search Lake Michigan for her remains and additional evidence.

See a typo? Report it here.