When the Portland Trail Blazers traded Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season, there was reason to believe he'd never play another game with the franchise he was the face of for so long. Well, after just two years in Milwaukee, Lillard was released by the Bucks and has just signed a three-year, $42 million deal to return to Portland, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
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 will miss the entire 2025-26 campaign as he rehabs from the torn Achilles he suffered during the playoffs with Milwaukee, but come the following season, Lillard is expected to be healthy and, given that contract, play a real role with the up-and-coming Blazers.
Here's a look at what their lineup and overall rotation for the 2026-27 campaign might look like when Lillard is healthy.
Blazers projected 2026-27 starting lineup and rotation after Damian Lillard reunion
Position | Starter | Backup |
|---|---|---|
Point Guard | Damian Lillard | Jrue Holiday |
Shooting Guard | Shaedon Sharpe | Scoot Henderson |
Small Forward | Deni Avdija | Toumani Camara |
Power Forward | Jerami Grant | Kris Murray |
Center | Donovan Clingan | Yang Hansen |
All of a sudden, the Blazers have all kinds of flexibility and upside on their roster. They might not be championship contenders next season, but they can run all sorts of fun lineups and should be a joy to watch.
An immediate pressing question that the Blazers will have to answer comes at the point guard position. There's a real chance that 36-year-old Lillard, coming off a torn Achilles, might not be worthy of the starting point guard role, but given everything he's accomplished, particularly in Portland, it feels likely that he'll start over Jrue Holiday. If anything, the Blazers could choose to play both of them together, given Holiday's tremendous perimeter defense.
Lillard might not be the superstar he once was with the Blazers, but even this past season, he averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists in 58 games for the Bucks. I'm not sure whether he'll get back to even close to those heights again, but he should still be a high-level scorer for this team that needs it.
Another storyline that'll be interesting to follow is what happens in the frontcourt. Both Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan are near locks to start, but will Jerami Grant still be a player worth giving major minutes to, especially if Toumani Camara continues to develop?
The Blazers lack the true 1A that could help get them to championship contention, but there's still a lot to like. Lillard should provide a scoring and leadership punch, that will help the Blazers in the not-too-distant future. He, at the very least, will sell tickets, too.