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Damian Lillard Agrees to New Deal to Return to Portland Trail Blazers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zachary Neel | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 6:38 PM ET

After a couple of years apart, the beloved son of Portland is returning home to the Trail Blazers.

On Thursday afternoon, it was first reported by The Oregonian's Bill Oram that the Blazers and former Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard were agreeing to a new deal that would see Lillard return to the Rose City on a three year, $42 million contract.

During the first 11 years of his career, Lillard was a seven-time All-Star for the Blazers before being traded to the Bucks before the 2023-24 season. Lillard spent two seasons in Milwaukee, but saw his time there end unceremoniously after tearing his Achilles tendon during the 2025 playoffs, and then having his contract bought out by the club, making him a free agent.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the deal includes a player-option for the 27-28 season and a no-trade clause.

Lillard is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season due to his Achilles injury, but he will hopefully be healthy after that for the remainder of his contract in Portland.

The addition of Lillard is big for the Blazers, giving them a veteran guard alongside Jrue Holiday to help mentor a young core of players that includes Scoot Henderson, Shaeden Sharpe, Yang Hansen, and Deni Avdija.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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