Warriors Reportedly Reached Out to Damian Lillard After All-Star Was Waived by Bucks
Damian Lillard now has more freedom to choose where his next basketball destination will be after the Milwaukee Bucks waived him and stretched the $113 million left on his contract to acquire big man Myles Turner on Tuesday, per ESPN's Shams Charania. That might mean coming home to the Golden State Warriors.
"Another thing that I'm hearing, of the many teams that reached out to Damian Lillard, the Warriors are one of those teams," ESPN's Marc J. Spears said on NBA Today.
"This is a guy that grew up going to games at Oracle Arena, sneaking into the media room getting sodas. Grew up a Warriors fan. That's interesting. I know [Jonathan] Kuminga's big, but hearing that the Warriors do have interest in Dame, I know that's very interesting to Bay Area people."
Much of the focus on the Warriors in the early stages of free agency has been on Jonathan Kuminga.
Spears previously reported there is "optimism in the Warriors' camp that he will re-sign" in part because there isn't the type of market the swingman was looking for this offseason. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne highlighted a sign-and-trade as a possibility if he was going to change teams.
But there is reportedly an avenue for Golden State to add Lillard and keep Kuminga, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst responded to Spears and said "it wouldn't necessarily be an either/or" with the two players.
Whichever team signs Lillard will need to exercise patience, as he will likely miss most if not all of the 2025-26 campaign after he suffered a torn Achilles during the playoffs.
The Bucks' decision to move on from Lillard in the wake of the injury might not sit well with some, but Sam Amick of The Athletic reported the guard is "elated" with the situation and has already "received calls from several contending teams."
A championship ring is about the only thing missing from Lillard's resume. Getting waived means he doesn't necessarily have to worry about the financial aspect of choosing his next destination and can instead focus on which team would put him in the best position to compete for a title.
Golden State has a veteran core of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green and will be in championship-or-bust mode in the immediate future. Adding Lillard, who turns 35 years old this month, would fit with that timeline even if he is sidelined for much of the season.
It would also represent a homecoming to the Bay Area, which could be enticing to him at this stage of his career.
