In the end, Damian Lillard found his way home and it didn’t take long to feel good about his decision. Lillard finalized a three-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers over the weekend, returning to the franchise he spent 11 years with before asking for a trade in 2023.
The Milwaukee Bucks waived Lillard to open free agency in an effort to make room for other signings, leaving the nine-time All-Star with his choice of where to sign coming off an Achilles injury.
“It never felt right not being home,” Lillard said during his reintroduction in Portland. “Through it all, I found my way back and just fortunate to be back with the group that I was with prior to leaving.”
Lillard’s three children joined him at the official signing during an emotional moment.
“Just knowing that I’m going to be back home for all parts of my life, with my kids, playing for the Trail Blazers, driving on the same streets that I’ve driven on pretty much my entire adulthood, my whole family being here, my mom, my brother, my sisters, all my friends around the city of Portland,” Lillard said. “All of those things count. I wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon.”
Lillard was a first-round pick in 2012 for the Trail Blazers and won Rookie of the Year before helping the franchise to eight playoff appearances over the next 11 seasons. He spent two years of teaming up with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee before choosing to come home to the West Coast.
Prior to the blockbuster trade to the Bucks two summers ago, Lillard wanted to be dealt to the Miami Heat.
“Truthfully, he wants to play in Miami. Period,” Lillard’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, told the The Miami Herald at the time.
Goodwin’s quote went viral and the NBA sent a memo to every team advising against such public requests in the future and that the league had “advised Goodwin and Lillard that any future comments, made privately to teams or publicly, suggesting Lillard will not fully perform the services called for under his player contract in the event of a trade will subject Lillard to discipline by the NBA.”
Damian Lillard’s return to Trail Blazers puts Scoot Henderson squarely on the clock in Portland
Brad Botkin
Lillard solidified his decision to sign with Portland after being released following multiple meetings with Blazers general manager Joe Cronin and coach Chauncey Billups. An interaction with his daughter in Portland assisted with Lillard’s final choice.
“I got to a red light, and I just turned around and my daughter was looking at me and I told her,” Lillard said. “And she was like, ‘Wait, so, like, we don’t have to get on an airplane to Milwaukee no more?'”
Lillard averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists per game last season and will spend the majority of the upcoming 2025-26 campaign rehabilitating his Achilles injury.
