'Paying Him to Teach These Children' – Portland Trail Blazers’ Advantage in Having Damian Lillard Back

Now that he’s back, there’s a question of what the Portland Trail Blazers will get out of his first year. He’ll miss the entire 2025-26 season as he rehabs from the season-ending injury he sustained from the first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.

Former Phoenix Suns executive Amin Elhassan recently explained what the Blazers will get out of Lillard’s first year.

“You know what the problem is with Damian Lillard with any one of those places, is that for a year, you’re paying him to rehab and that’s it,” Lillard said. “The one place where that’s not the case is Portland. You’re paying him to rehab, but you’re also paying him to teach these children to be a vet.

“He’s an A-1 locker room leader, veteran, good influence. And if you’re Portland, if you have this young locker room, if you have designs on taking this leap this year, he can help you right now. This is perhaps the only situation in the league that can say ‘We need Damian Lillard, right now, this year’.”

Dwyane Wade applauded the Portland Trail Blazers for signing Lillard back

After it was confirmed that Damian Lillard would return to the Portland Trail Blazers, the NBA community rejoiced. One of the players who celebrated Lillard’s homecoming was former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade. The three-time champion acknowledged the move to sign the nine-time All-Star on X.

“Dame Dolla back where he should be! @trailblazers got it right

,” Wade posted.

Similar to Lillard, Wade also had the same career move. In 2016, the former Heat star left the team that drafted him to join the Chicago Bulls. The following year, he reunited with LeBron James and joined the Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, he was traded to the Heat in the middle of the 2017-18 season.