Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Damian Lillard shocks NBA after signing with surprising team

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 5:39 PM ET

Damian Lillard had been linked to several contending teams since he was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks, but the star point guard has instead opted for a homecoming.

Lillard agreed to a three-year, $42M contract with the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The deal includes a player option for the 2027-28 season and a no-trade clause.

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, who is recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered during the playoffs, had roughly $113M remaining on his contract with the Bucks before they decided to waive the 35-year-old earlier this month. Milwaukee will spread the remaining money owed to Lillard over the next five seasons.

Charania notes that Lillard wanted to be closer to his family, who still live in the Portland area. Lillard will now spend the 2025-26 season rehabbing his Achilles injury.

Lillard will use the 2025-26 season to rehabilitate a torn Achilles tendon, but a return to the franchise and Portland where his family and kids reside were of the ultimate importance. He also had multiple mid-level exception and minimum offers from NBA contenders. https://t.co/leLbfY8zab
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 17, 2025

Lillard spent the first 11 years of his career with the Trail Blazers before he was traded to the Bucks ahead of the 2023-34 season. He has averaged 25.1 points, 6.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game across 13 NBA seasons.

The Blazers finished 36-46 this past season and missed the playoffs. Most people assumed Lillard would want to sign with a team that is closer to title contention, and the nine-time All-Star drew interest from several.

Ultimately, Lillard decided that he wanted to go home.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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