Damian Lillard, Blazers Agree to Reported 3-Year, $42M Contract After Bucks Release

Nine-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard is returning to his former NBA home.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported Thursday that Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract that features a player option for the 2027-28 campaign and a no-trade clause.

Lillard confirmed the news on social media:

Charania added that "Lillard and the Trail Blazers both deeply cared about the comeback in recent weeks" and had multiple meetings before finalizing the agreement.

The Milwaukee Bucks previously waived Lillard and used the stretch provision to make room to sign former Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner in free agency, per Charania.

Lillard is currently recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon suffered during the playoffs on April 27, and his 2025-26 season is in jeopardy. He underwent successful surgery five days after the injury.

Lillard has played 13 NBA seasons, first with the Trail Blazers for 11 and then with the Bucks for the past two. At his best, he's a phenomenal scorer capable of carrying his offense and team on his back on a nightly basis. Portland was a perennial playoff contender at Lillard's peak, and he notably finished top eight in the NBA MVP voting for four straight seasons (2017-18 to 2020-21).

For his career, Lillard has averaged 25.1 points, 6.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three.

Last season, Lillard posted 24.9 points on 44.8 percent shooting (37.6 percent from three), 7.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds.

Obviously, Lillard has a long road ahead. It's uncertain how he'll be able to respond after a serious injury that could sideline him for a year, let alone in his mid-30s and with 13 seasons (plus 68 playoff games) under his belt. However, Lillard is an extraordinary player and a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, and it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him author a great comeback and keep his future Hall of Fame career going.

After Lillard was waived, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on NBA TV to "look out for the Miami Heat," but he also said to "throw Portland in there as well."

Sure enough, Lillard has returned home to Portland, creating an exciting reunion where he'll return to the place he starred for so long.

However, he won't be running the backcourt with CJ McCollum or finding big man Jusuf Nurkić in the paint. Ultimately, this is a rebuilding team that has some intriguing young talent like Donovan Clingan, Hansen Yang, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.

However, it might be some time before it all coalesces and comes together. Having Lillard back certainly helps the team become more competitive in the meantime, though, as Portland looks to be a perennial playoff contender once again.