Damian Lillard goes again to the place he by no means wished to go away.
Lillard has agreed to the three-year, $42 million cope with the Portland Path Blazers in free company, in line with insider Shams Charania. The 35-year-old guard shall be out all of subsequent season as he rehabs a torn Achilles suffered in the course of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Lillard grew to become a free agent in stunning style when the Milwaukee Bucks waived-and-stretched his contract to signal Myles Turner at the beginning of free company.
Lillard was named an All-Star this previous season earlier than the damage by averaging 24.9 factors, 7.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per sport on 62 p.c true capturing and 37.6 p.c three-point capturing on 9 makes an attempt per sport. These are phenomenal numbers for a smaller, growing old guard, however the actuality is the Bucks’ Lillard experiment was a monumental bust that resulted in zero playoff collection wins.
Lillard had “a number of mid-level exception and minimal presents from NBA contenders,” in line with Charania, however selected to return to Portland as an alternative. Dame has a case because the Best Blazer of All-Time, and now he’ll get to complete his profession with the crew that drafted him. Lillard can be getting a no-trade clause within the deal.
Let’s grade Lillard’s choice to signal with Portland for the participant and the crew.
Damian Lillard grade for signing with Path Blazers
The grass isn’t all the time greener. Lillard discovered that lesson when he was traded from Portland to Milwaukee, the place he spent two irritating years failing to construct the required chemistry with Antetokounmpo. What appeared like a splendidly complementary pairing on paper by no means actually labored out for a wide range of causes, from teaching kinds to a decaying supporting forged to accidents.
It’s straightforward to think about that Lillard was shocked to study the Bucks waived him earlier this month, but it surely labored out extremely nicely for him. He will get the complete $113 million wage he was owed from Milwaukee for the following two years whereas the crew spreads the cap hit over 5 years. The discharge additionally gave Dame the liberty to decide on the place he wished to complete his profession, which needed to be deeply satisfying after his unique commerce fiasco in Portland. Lillard reportedly had his coronary heart set on enjoying for the Miami Warmth coming off their 2023 NBA Finals run, however the Bucks provided the very best bundle, and Lillard had no selection however to make the very best of it.
How a lot will Dame have left within the tank when he comes again? An Achilles tear is probably the toughest ‘frequent’ damage to return from within the NBA, and that’s particularly the case the later you get in your profession. Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles at 34 years outdated and was by no means the identical once more. Lillard is smaller and worse defensively. His pull-up capturing and pick-and-roll playmaking ought to nonetheless have some utility, but it surely’s arduous to be too optimistic concerning the stage he’ll return at.
Lillard may have chased a hoop elsewhere to shut his profession, however he selected to return to the town he considers dwelling. It might be fascinating to see the opposite presents and get a have a look at which groups actually wished him on the point of a misplaced season rehabbing a horrible damage. The bar for a profitable Blazers return shall be pretty manageable: he’ll need to mentor younger guards like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, be an envoy for the group, and attempt to get Portland again into the playoffs after an extended drought.
The Blazers have the perfect defensive infrastructure to cowl Lillard on that finish. Portland can put a crew of giant defenders round him at each different place and let him carry the offense, if he’s nonetheless able to doing that post-injury. The match on paper is smart, however there are plenty of ifs.
Lillard can be getting paid a ton of cash. He’ll be making round $70 million subsequent season with out enjoying a sport. That’s nice work if you may get it. I believe it is a great story for a beloved star participant who means a lot extra to Portland than he would anyplace else. Lillard’s days as an elite participant are probably over, but when he hits one clutch shot in a giant scenario once more in a Blazers uniform, the storybook ending can have written itself.
Grade: A
Path Blazers grade for signing Damian Lillard
It’s straightforward to grasp why the Blazers wished to deliver again Lillard on the floor: he’s a franchise legend, and so they need to do proper by him earlier than he retires. I simply surprise how Lillard suits into the large image of Portland’s rebuild.
The Blazers are seemingly making an attempt to speed up their timeline for a playoff push. Portland made a stunning choice to amass Jrue Vacation through commerce from the Boston Celtics this offseason regardless of him exhibiting indicators of growing old final season. Now 35 years outdated, Vacation can nonetheless be an efficient defender and chief, however he doesn’t have fairly as a lot scoring punch as he used to, and he’s on an enormous contract for 3 extra years. There have been whispers that Vacation initially wasn’t thrilled to land in Portland, however getting Lillard again on the town will make him really feel extra comfy.
The Blazers introduced in Vacation to fortify their protection and add a veteran presence to their younger core. Portland has some good items in place and is beginning to kind an actual defensive id. Donovan Clingan, Toumani Camara, and Deni Avdija is an excellent younger, defensive-minded entrance court docket to construct round. Portland wants younger guards Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe to take a leap. Finally, Sharpe and Henderson will decide the place this franchise goes for the remainder of the last decade.
I’m wondering how Henderson and Sharpe will really feel about Lillard’s return. If Henderson struggles to take a step ahead this season and Lillard comes again trying like himself a yr from now, would be the Blazers be prepared to offer Dame beginning and/or closing minutes over the teen? Will Lillard be joyful sitting on the finish of video games if he looks like he’s nonetheless higher than the youthful guards on the crew?
I discover this to be sort of an odd choice by Portland. Simply once they had been stating to show the nook on their rebuild, they’re now leaning again to their previous to appease a franchise legend. There’s an opportunity this works out very well for each events, however I fear there’s some draw back for the Blazers.
Portland received a very whole lot in return for Lillard. They personal the Bucks’ unprotected 2029 first spherical choose, and two swaps. In that sense, Portland nonetheless has loads of outs to construct an excellent crew, but it surely does really feel just like the entrance workplace may very well be on the recent seat if the roster doesn’t take a step ahead this yr. This can be a affordable wage for Lillard, and the no-trade clause gained’t be as tough to work round because it was for the Suns with Bradley Beal.
The Blazers have an uphill climb and little margin for error within the West in the event that they need to make the postseason. They don’t have a star participant, and they’re saddled with Jerami Grant’s big contract for a number of extra seasons that they seemingly can’t give away. It doesn’t really feel like this Portland rebuild is something near completed product, which is why including Dame feels a bit odd. It’s a pleasant story, however I’m skeptical that is the suitable transfer for the Blazers.
Grade: C+
