Damian Lillard Returns to Portland Trail Blazers in $42M Reunion Deal

In a dramatic about-face, nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard is agreeing to a three-year, $42 million contract to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, according to sources. The deal, with a player option for the 2027-28 season and a no-trade clause, is an emotional return home for the 35-year-old star who spent his first 11 years of his playing career in the franchise. The reunion follows the recent buyout of center Deandre Ayton, reshaping Portland's roster while waiting for Lillard to come back.

Damian Lillard Injury

Lillard's return comes after a huge setback. In the 2025 NBA Playoffs with the Milwaukee Bucks, Lillard tore his Achilles tendon during Game 4 of play against the Indiana Pacers. The procedure, done in May 2025, will have him out for the majority, if not all, of the 2025-26 season. Lillard has been rehabbing in Portland, and it is fitting for him to go back and see the Blazers there in a comfortable setting. His rehab process will be key to what he is able to do when he gets back on the court.

Damian Lillard Salary

The three-year, $42 million contract is a huge pay reduction from the $113 million on Lillard's former contract with the Bucks, which was extended five years after Lillard was waived in July 2025. The contract works out to an average of about $14 million per year and is an indication of how Lillard seems to prefer returning to Portland rather than getting the most he can, given his return from his Achilles injury. The no-trade clause and 2027-28 player option provide Lillard with control of his future, so he can remain with the Blazers for the duration of his career if he wants to.

Damian Lillard Stats

Lillard is the franchise's all-time leader in scoring at 25.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game for his 11 seasons with the Blazers from 2012 to 2023. He was a seven All-NBA selection and an NBA 75th Anniversary Team member while with Portland. In his last season with the Bucks during 2024-25, Lillard averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists per contest on 44.8% field shooting and 37.6% from outside over 58 contests for his ninth All-Star nod. His Achilles tear kept him from playing a complete season, but his history indicates he can still be a game-changer when healthy.

Portland Trail Blazers Depth Chart

With the acquisition of Deandre Ayton, the Trail Blazers rebuilt their roster with new faces and experienced multi-facets occupying important positions. Lillard's return provides a veteran to an otherwise backcourt-loaded roster but will need his restricted minutes from injury managed closely. Here is the revised depth chart:

Lillard's return, possibly as a reserve or limited-minute starter role in 2026-27 because he is returning from an injury, makes it tougher on an already depth-challenged backcourt that features Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson. Coach Chauncey Billups might move Holiday to shooting guard or play Lillard off the bench to tutor Henderson but also preserve his health. The frontcourt, composed of Jerami Grant and freshman Donovan Clingan, is strengthened defensively by the presence of Deni Avdija and Robert Williams, but with Ayton going, Portland is thin at center. Lillard leadership would be what can upgrade this young core, but his contribution is subject to rehab.

Damian Lillard Impact

Lillard's return to the city of Portland is a fairy-tale move to a player who constructed the franchise on all-time performances, such as his dramatic buzzer-beater over the Houston Rockets in 2014. "Dame Time," as he was affectionately called, was true to Portland, where he was an icon within the city, in making this move over others such as the Miami Heat. 

With Portland in a rebuild without Ayton and temporarily without Lillard, the attention will be on growing young studs such as Henderson, Clingan, and Sharpe while getting the most out of veterans Holiday and Grant. Lillard's presence, even outside of the court, might be the greatest to get the Blazers back into the playoffs in the immediate future. The NBA world is waiting for the return of Lillard, yearning for the show of "Dame Time" in Portland to resume.