Damian Lillard goes again to the place he by no means wished to go away.
Lillard has agreed to the three-year, $42 million take care of the Portland Path Blazers in free company, in line with insider Shams Charania. The 35-year-old guard might be out all of subsequent season as he rehabs a torn Achilles suffered through the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Lillard turned 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 harm by averaging 24.9 factors, 7.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per sport on 62 p.c true taking pictures and 37.6 p.c three-point taking pictures on 9 makes an attempt per sport. These are phenomenal numbers for a smaller, growing older guard, however the actuality is the Bucks’ Lillard experiment was a monumental bust that resulted in zero playoff sequence wins.
Lillard had “a number of mid-level exception and minimal affords from NBA contenders,” in line with Charania, however selected to return to Portland as an alternative. Dame has a case because the Biggest Blazer of All-Time, and now he’ll get to complete his profession with the workforce 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 workforce.
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 quite a lot of causes, from teaching kinds to a decaying supporting solid to accidents.
It’s straightforward to think about that Lillard was surprised to be taught 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 workforce 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 taking part in for the Miami Warmth coming off their 2023 NBA Finals run, however the Bucks supplied the perfect package deal, and Lillard had no alternative however to make the perfect of it.
How a lot will Dame have left within the tank when he comes again? An Achilles tear is maybe the toughest ‘frequent’ 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 previous and was by no means the identical once more. Lillard is smaller and worse defensively. His pull-up taking pictures and pick-and-roll playmaking ought to nonetheless have some utility, but it surely’s exhausting to be too optimistic in regards to the stage he’ll return at.
Lillard might have chased a hoop elsewhere to shut his profession, however he selected to return to the town he considers residence. It might be fascinating to see the opposite affords and get a take a look at which groups actually wished him on the point of a misplaced season rehabbing a horrible harm. The bar for a profitable Blazers return might be pretty manageable: he’ll must 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 workforce 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 taking part in a sport. That’s nice work if you will 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 possible over, but when he hits one clutch shot in an enormous scenario once more in a Blazers uniform, the storybook ending may have written itself.
Grade: A
Path Blazers grade for signing Damian Lillard
It’s straightforward to grasp why the Blazers wished to convey again Lillard on the floor: he’s a franchise legend, and so they wish to do proper by him earlier than he retires. I simply surprise how Lillard matches into the large image of Portland’s rebuild.
The Blazers are seemingly attempting to speed up their timeline for a playoff push. Portland made a shocking choice to accumulate Jrue Vacation by way of commerce from the Boston Celtics this offseason regardless of him displaying indicators of growing older final season. Now 35 years previous, 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 courtroom to construct round. Portland wants younger guards Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe to take a leap. In the end, 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 wanting 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 pleased sitting on the finish of video games if he seems like he’s nonetheless higher than the youthful guards on the workforce?
I discover this to be sort of an odd choice by Portland. Simply once 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 obtained 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 workforce, but it surely does really feel just like the entrance workplace may very well be on the new seat if the roster doesn’t take a step ahead this 12 months. It is a affordable 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 wish 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 precise transfer for the Blazers.
Grade: C+
