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Damian Lillard goes again to the place he by no means needed to depart.
Lillard has agreed to the three-year, $42 million take care of the Portland Trail Blazers in free company, in response to insider Shams Charania. The 35-year-old guard will probably be out all of subsequent season as he rehabs a torn Achilles suffered throughout the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Lillard turned a free agent in stunning trend 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 harm 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. Those are phenomenal numbers for a smaller, ageing guard, however the actuality is the Bucks’ Lillard experiment was a monumental bust that resulted in zero playoff sequence wins.
Lillard had “multiple mid-level exception and minimum offers from NBA contenders,” in response to Charania, however selected to return to Portland as a substitute. Dame has a case because the Greatest Blazer of All-Time, and now he’ll get to complete his profession with the staff 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 staff.
Damian Lillard grade for signing with Trail Blazers
The grass isn’t at all times greener. Lillard realized that lesson when he was traded from Portland to Milwaukee, the place he spent two irritating years failing to construct the mandatory 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 types to a decaying supporting forged to accidents.
It’s simple to think about that Lillard was shocked to study the Bucks waived him earlier this month, but it surely labored out extremely effectively for him. He will get the complete $113 million wage he was owed from Milwaukee for the subsequent two years whereas the staff spreads the cap hit over 5 years. The launch additionally gave Dame the liberty to decide on the place he needed 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 taking part in for the Miami Heat 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 maybe the toughest ‘common’ harm 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 degree he’ll return at.
Lillard might have chased a hoop elsewhere to shut his profession, however he selected to return to town he considers house. It could be fascinating to see the opposite affords and get a have a look at which groups actually needed him on the point of a misplaced season rehabbing a horrible harm. The bar for a profitable Blazers return will probably be pretty manageable: he’ll should 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 a protracted drought.
The Blazers have the perfect defensive infrastructure to cowl Lillard on that finish. Portland can put a staff 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 sensible, 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 taking part in a sport. That’s nice work if you may get it. I feel this can be a fantastic 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 could have written itself.
Grade: A
Trail Blazers grade for signing Damian Lillard
It’s simple to know why the Blazers needed to convey again Lillard on the floor: he’s a franchise legend, they usually need to do proper by him earlier than he retires. I simply marvel how Lillard matches into the massive image of Portland’s rebuild.
The Blazers are seemingly attempting to speed up their timeline for a playoff push. Portland made a stunning choice to accumulate Jrue Holiday through commerce from the Boston Celtics this offseason regardless of him exhibiting indicators of ageing final season. Now 35 years outdated, Holiday 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 Holiday initially wasn’t thrilled to land in Portland, however getting Lillard again on the town will make him really feel extra snug.
The Blazers introduced in Holiday to fortify their protection and add a veteran presence to their younger core. Portland has some good items in place and is beginning to type an actual defensive identification. 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. Ultimately, Sharpe and Henderson will decide the place this franchise goes for the remainder of the last decade.
I ponder 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 12 months from now, would be the Blazers be prepared to present Dame beginning and/or closing minutes over the teen? Will Lillard be glad sitting on the finish of video games if he seems like he’s nonetheless higher than the youthful guards on the staff?
I discover this to be form of an odd choice by Portland. Just after they have 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 bought a extremely whole lot in return for Lillard. They personal the Bucks’ unprotected 2029 first spherical decide, and two swaps. In that sense, Portland nonetheless has loads of outs to construct an excellent staff, but it surely does really feel just like the entrance workplace might be on the new seat if the roster doesn’t take a step ahead this 12 months. This is an inexpensive wage for Lillard, and the no-trade clause received’t be as troublesome 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 enormous 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 appropriate transfer for the Blazers.
Grade: C+