New Damian Lillard Rumors on Potential Return from Injury for Blazers amid 2026 NBA Playoffs
Damian Lillard has been out for the entire season as he recovers from an Achilles injury, but the Portland Trail Blazers reportedly think there is a chance he could return during the playoffs.
Bill Oram of The Oregonian reported Thursday "however implausible it may seem, the franchise has not completely ruled out the possibility that Lillard could make a surprise appearance in the postseason this year. … Obviously, the longer its run lasts, the more realistic such a long-shot scenario becomes."
Oram also cited a source who said, "I wouldn't rule anything out or get too excited about anything."
The idea of Lillard returning has picked up some steam of late with the Trail Blazers tied with the San Antonio Spurs at one game apiece and the team posting a cryptic video of him getting some shots up after the Game 2 win:
Lillard, who did win this season's three-point contest despite the injury, even played into the cryptic social-media posts with his own:
Trail Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter was asked about the situation and said: "He's working out. He's trying to get ready to play. When that's going to be, we don't know. All I can say is that he's working out as he always does."
Splitter also said "probably not" when asked if the guard would return for the first-round series against the Spurs.
Fair or not, there are going to be some comparisons to Jayson Tatum. After all, the Boston Celtics star tore his Achilles 13 days after Lillard did so in the 2025 playoffs and has since returned to the Eastern Conference team's lineup. Tatum is also playing at a high level.
Yet Boston is a realistic title contender. Tatum is also 28 years old, while Lillard will turn 36 in July.
Portland is the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and surely wasn't seen as a title contender coming into the playoffs with a first-round matchup against the formidable Spurs. However, the tenor of the series has changed some after the Trail Blazers stole home-court advantage by splitting the first two games of the series.
San Antonio big man Victor Wembanyama is also dealing with a concussion, leaving his immediate status in jeopardy.
Should Portland find a way to advance to the second round, the questions about Lillard will likely only continue to grow louder. And, for now, the team reportedly isn't closing the door on his return.
