Damian Lillard’s return to the Portland Trail Blazers has generated great expectation. The player, after signing a three-year, $42 million contract, experienced an emotional homecoming. Lillard, accompanied by his children Damian Jr., Kalii and Kali, sealed his bond with the Blazers, an agreement that includes a no-trade clause and the option to terminate it after two seasons.
Lillard, who played his first 11 NBA seasons with Portland before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, made his first public statements about the deal in a press conference. The point guard, a nine-time All-Star, is very loved in Portland, known for his iconic gesture of pointing to his wrist as “Dame Time” after making important shots. However, his return to the court at the Moda Center will have to wait. Lillard suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in April during the playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, requiring surgery that will likely keep him out of the 2025-26 season. The Bucks released him earlier this month and distributed the remaining $113 million of his contract over five years. I told him that this year he will be the highest-paid assistant coach in league history because I will have him working every day. Although Lillard did not rule out playing again in the 2025-26 season, the team will wait “as long as necessary,” according to general manager Joe Cronin.Knowing that I’m going to be back home for all facets of my life, with my kids, playing for the Trail Blazers, driving on the same streets I’ve driven on for almost all of my adult life, with all my family here, my mother, my brother, my sisters, all my friends around the city of Portland. All those things matter. I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
Damian Lillard
In the past season, Lillard averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists, being selected for his ninth All-Star. His performance was limited to 58 games due to deep vein thrombosis. In the 2022-23 season, his last in Portland before the trade, he averaged 32.2 points, and became the seventh player in NBA history to score more than 70 points in a game, achieving 71 against the Houston Rockets. During Lillard’s time in Portland, the team won four playoff series, reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2019. Lillard always insisted that there were no hard feelings about his separation from the Blazers, seeking a championship with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Bucks, while Portland focused on developing young talents like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. Lillard, who has a footwear deal with Adidas, hinted during an event that he might be willing to return to the Blazers. He never imagined that an injury would accelerate the process. Selected at the number 6 spot in the 2012 draft by Portland, Lillard holds franchise records in points (19,376) and three-pointers (2,387). He has had five games with 60 or more points with Portland. In his career, Lillard averages 25.1 points and 6.7 assists. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2013 and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. He won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Lillard commented that his children finally understood the importance of his return home during the journey back. “I arrived at a red light, turned around, and my daughter was looking at me and I said. And she said: ‘Wait, so we don’t have to get on a plane to go to Milwaukee anymore?'”My pride would think differently, but I think with age, you become wiser. As Joe said, it will ultimately be the best, I think, to take as much time as possible to make sure I’m right, that’s what I’ll do.
Damian Lillard
