Home, sweet home - Lillard returns to Portland!
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 18.07.25. | 09:57
The brilliant point guard will wear the Trail Blazers jersey again after two years in Milwaukee, having agreed to a three-year deal with the team
Anywhere can be nice, but there's no place like home. Damian Lillard knows well that the best period of his career was spent in Portland, and that's why, when the opportunity arose, he gladly accepted the offer from the Oregon team to return home and sign a three-year deal with the Trail Blazers worth 42 million, reports the always well-informed Shams Charania.
BREAKING: Nine-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard is finalizing a three-year, $42 million contract to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, sources tell ESPN. Deal is expected to include a player option in 2027-28 and a no-trade clause. A storybook reunion home for the 35-year-old. pic.twitter.com/mm1uUtMgO6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 17, 2025
Lillard was devastated when he tore his Achilles tendon during the playoff series against Indiana, and things got even worse when the Bucks released him, unwilling to wait for his recovery. But he’ll do that in Portland, as the contract includes a no-trade clause and a player option for the 2027/28 season.
A fairytale return for the kid from Oakland. Lillard will have a fixed salary of 70 million, considering he’ll still receive money from his contract with the Bucks, and in two years, he’ll be 141 million richer.
Yes, he’s already 35 years old and there are questions about what he'll be like after recovering from the injury, but he could still serve as a mentor to younger players like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.
1 shot to win or go home, who do you want?
— RCsWorld (@RCsWrld) June 29, 2025
I want Damian Lillard.
Buzzer beaters, clutch sequences, side steps, finesse layups⌚️ https://t.co/c8VPgJK5Jl pic.twitter.com/qOIZBPhG5n
And it’s almost certain that he’ll end his career there. Most likely without a championship ring, but in a place where he's a legend. That he still has something to offer is shown by last season’s stats, during which he played 58 games before the injury and averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists.
