Damian Lillard returns to Portland Trail Blazers

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Moda Center, are you all ready for the return of Dame Time?

Two weeks after the Milwaukee Bucks decided to waive and stretch nine-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard, the superstar point guard was quick to find a home, patching things up for his homecoming to the team that drafted him during the 2012 Rookie Draft.

Welcome back to the Portland Trail Blazers, Dame Time!

The development was confirmed by ESPN’s veteran NBA insider Shams Charania on July 18, 2025, and added that Lillard is already finalizing a three-year, $42 million contract that will include a player option for 2027-2028 and a full no-trade clause.

Lillard and the Portland organization had a fall off during the 2023 off-season when the franchise shipped him away to Milwaukee in exchange for multiple picks.

However, Lillard’s stay in the Eastern Conference wasn’t as fruitful compared to his postseason success with the Trail Blazers, paving the way for the reunion when the Bucks dealt him away.

Despite the roller coaster ride with the Bucks in the past two playoff runs, Lillard still proved that he is one of the most lethal offensive players in the NBA, averaging 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 58 regular-season games played.

His postseason campaign was derailed by the Achilles injury, a huge blow to the Bucks who again failed to get past the first round in the Eastern Conference.

Lillard will have to sit out his first year at Portland, as the scoring machine is still undergoing a full rehabilitation process to repair his ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered during the first round of the playoffs.

The 13-year NBA veteran is set to boost the young Portland core composed of Scoot Henderson, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Jerami Grant, and Robert Williams.

Lillard will also have the luxury to play alongside Jrue Holiday, probably the best perimeter defender in the league, after the Boston Celtics shipped him in the first week of the off-season trade craze.