In a surprising move, Damian Lillard has signed with the Portland Trail Blazers for a 3-year, $42 million deal, reuniting him with the franchise he played 11 seasons with. Spurning numerous contending teams and going back to the city where he laid his family’s roots, what does this deal mean for Lillard and the Trail Blazers?
Damian Lillard’s Return to the Portland Trail Blazers and Why It Makes Sense
On July 1, the Milwaukee Bucks — the team that traded for Lillard in 2023 from the Blazers — waived and bought out Lillard’s contract with two years and $113 million remaining. Lillard is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season with a torn Achilles suffered in the first round of the 2025 playoffs.
Despite that, the nine-time All-Star was presented with an unprecedented opportunity to join his chosen team through free agency, with several contenders reportedly expressing interest.
In a similarly unprecedented decision, Lillard decided against all other potential suitors and is headed back to where he began his career.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the deal, with NBA Insider Chris Haynes providing details about how the deal came to fruition with a general manager in Joe Cronin who unceremoniously traded him to Milwaukee.
“Portland GM Joe Cronin met at the star’s house weeks ago and the two made amends and focused their attention on getting a deal done to give Lillard the opportunity to retire as a Trail Blazer.”
Portland GM Joe Cronin met at the star’s house weeks ago and the two made amends and focused their attention on getting a deal done to give Lillard the opportunity to retire as a Trail Blazer. https://t.co/h4XNp555W3
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 17, 2025
The deal is a major win for Lillard on multiple fronts.
Being dealt to Milwaukee was never his first choice, and he wasn’t shy in revealing off-court struggles that came with the relocation. Now, heading into months of rehab, he gets to return to where his kids, mother, brother, and other extended family members reside.
Then, the financial aspect.
Lillard’s contract with the Bucks had two years and $113 million remaining, with him being paid $56 million during the 2025-26 season regardless of his injury status.
Now having inked the 3-year, $42 million contract with the Blazers, he’s set to rake in roughly $70 million next season — a mark that makes him (unofficially) the highest-paid player in the NBA. He’ll have a salary of $141 million over the next two years ahead of his player-option in 2027.
All that to rehab in his long-time home city and with his family at his side.
He also was granted a player option in 2027 and a no-trade clause (joining LeBron James as the only other player in the league with that clause), giving him authority over whether or not he’s traded. The player-option allows him to potentially cash in on one more payday, as he’ll presumably be coming off a healthy 2026-27 season and could decline the final year, as he’d have an increased monetary value.
On the court, the fit is extremely favorable as well. Having yearned for a defensive-minded supporting cast his entire prime, Lillard finally has one once he returns from injury.
Wing Toumani Camara made Second-Team All-Defense in just his second season, routinely wreaking havoc for opposing guards with his impressive length on the perimeter. Newly-acquired guard Jrue Holiday has made six All-Defense teams in his career, and while 35 years old, is still capable of being the point of attack defender and is under contact for three more seasons. Deni Avdjia is a nice team defender and is far from a weak point on the wing.
At the rim, seven-footer Donovan Clingan recorded 1.6 blocks per game in his rookie season and projects as a long-term rim protector for the Blazers. 2025 draft pick Yang Hansen is 7’2″ and has displayed shot-blocking abilities in summer league action. Rob Williams III also remains on the roster and while his injuries have been well-documented, has blocked 1.7 shots per game in his seven-year career.
That core, along with promising minutes from second-year point guard Scoot Henderson, finished as an above-average scoring defense after the 2025 All-Star break and had a stretch of 10 wins in 11 games.
That came without veteran forward Jerami Grant, who averaged 14.4 points in 47 games and is a reliable 3-point shooter at 36.4% in his career.
Per Charania, Lillard will miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season, spending the time to rehab before making his return to the team on the court in the 2026-27 campaign. During that time, Lillard will undoubtedly be a pivotal presence in Portland’s locker room.
Henderson, the No. 3 pick in 2024, has gotten off to a relatively disappointing start to his career, failing to establish himself as the starter and averaging three turnovers per game and shooting just 40.1% from the field in two seasons. Also on the roster is rising star Shaedon Sharpe, who scored 18.5 points per game last season and is a dangerous threat from deep and at the rim, where his leaping ability is second-to-none.
It was already assumed that the Blazers, fresh off their promising late-season surge, would push for the play-in tournament next season. And while Lillard’s presence won’t be felt on the court, adding a nine-time All-Star mentor into the locker room who led the Blazers to eight playoff appearances can’t hurt.
Come the 2026-27 season, with Lillard roughly 16 months removed from the Achilles injury, he’ll presumably step in as the lead ball-handler and the engine of the offense once again.
In his final season in Portland in 2023, Lillard averaged 32.2 points on 37.1% from 3-point range with 7.3 assists per game, carrying a hefty load offensively. His numbers dropped in Milwaukee, as he was down to 24.9 points but upped his 3-point accuracy to 37.6% and still dished out 7.1 assists. While Lillard was 34 last season, the drop in points was likely due to sharing the court with another superstar in two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Once recovered, Lillard’s age at 36 will be a factor. The older players get, the less likely they are to return to form after injury, making it a major question mark regarding how far the team could reach two seasons from now. But if he is able to return to even 90% of what he was last season, he’ll be a huge addition to a Portland team missing a primary offensive creator. Lillard is exactly that.
It’s a resounding victory for the Blazers, Lillard, and their fan base.
Lillard was — and still is — a pillar in the Portland community, easily the most popular Blazer in the team’s history. Short of bringing in a championship, he’s done everything in his power to show up in every way for the city. Even if he never meets his goal of winning a title in Portland, he’ll have a statue outside of Moda Center when it’s all said and done.
Now, after two seasons away, Portland’s beloved star is back, boosting the franchise on and off the court and giving himself an ideal end to his Hall of Fame career.
