Damian Lillard Says Blazers Contract Is 'Officially Signed' After Bucks Buyout

Damian Lillard confirmed that his contract to return to the Portland Trail Blazers was "officially signed" in a social media post on Saturday.

Lillard agreed to a three-year deal worth $42 million with the Trail Blazers that included a no-trade clause as well as a player option for the 2027-28 season.

The point guard became a free agent after the Milwaukee Bucks waived him and stretched the remaining $103 million left on his contract.

While it was a surprising move by the Bucks, it allowed them to hand center Myles Turner a four-year, $107 million deal in free agency.

Lillard's on-court return to the Trail Blazers will be delayed after he suffered a torn Achilles in Game 4 of Milwaukee's first-round playoff defeat at the hands of the Indiana Pacers. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the veteran guard will "use the 2025-26 season to rehabilitate his injury."

Still, Lillard is now officially set to join a Portland squad that he spent the first 11 years of his career with.

He helped lead the Trail Blazers to eight playoff appearances throughout his tenure with the organization, which included a run to the 2019 Western Conference Finals.

Lillard is already a Portland icon, ranking No. 1 on the team's all-time scoring list and No. 2 on its all-time assists leaderboard.

The impact that the nine-time All-Star will make following the recovery from his Achilles injury isn't clear, although he remained one of the NBA's top offensive point guards during his time with Milwaukee.

Lillard averaged 24.6 points and 7.0 assists per game on 43.4/36.4/92.1 shooting splits as a member of the Bucks.

Until he's able to step on the floor, Portland will rely on Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson to serve as the team's lead guards.