Damian Lillard is finalizing a three-year, $42 million contract to reunite with the Portland Trail Blazers, per ESPN's Shams Charania. Between his deals with Milwaukee and Portland, Lillard will now make $70 million in 2025-26 and be the highest-paid player.
He has a combined salary of $141 million over the next two seasons, and his deal with the Blazers includes a player option in 2027-28 and a no-trade clause. That's not too shabby for a 35-year-old guard coming off an Achilles tear who likely won't even play next season.
Damian Lillard's return to Blazers makes perfect sense
Blazers fans knew a Lillard reunion was possible since he told Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, "I see there being a time where I play for the Trail Blazers" in 2024. But we didn't expect it to be so soon.
Lillard requested a trade out of Portland because of his desire to win a championship, as the Blazers continually failed to provide him with the necessary surrounding pieces required to achieve that. Portland also drafted Lillard's successor, Scoot Henderson, with the No. 3 overall pick in 2023.
The Blazers now have a much more promising future than when Lillard initially requested a trade, primarily thanks to the assets they got in exchange for trading him. But at the same time, the problems in Portland that led to his trade request haven't been resolved.
Henderson is well-positioned for a third-year breakout with Anfernee Simons out of the picture. DraftKings has the Blazers' projected win total set at 32.5 wins this upcoming season, meaning they are still far away from being considered legitimate contenders.
The Blazers now face a challenging timeline over the next few seasons as they attempt to accelerate their young core's development while maximizing the remaining championship windows of veteran stars like Lillard and, potentially, Jrue Holiday should he remain on the roster.
Given his desire for a championship, some may not fully understand why Lillard returned to Portland. He finally had a chance to join his previously preferred landing spot in the Miami Heat or join a genuine contender to get that ring before his career is up. A team like the Boston Celtics would've been interesting with Lillard and Jayson Tatum both taking gap years.
But those following Lillard's career know he values family and loyalty.
While Portland doesn't give him the best opportunity to win, they're trending upwards and competitive enough to give him at least a puncher's chance. From the standpoint of being the highest-paid player while recovering close to family and playing in front of a fanbase that absolutely loves him, it's a no-brainer.
It's surprising that the Blazers agreed to pay an injured player this much, considering he doesn't fit their timeline and they want to keep their books clean. But this is arguably the best Blazer of all time we're talking about. Both sides had to make this happen.