We're still processing Damian Lillard's return to the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason. By now, Blazers fans know the details of the deal. Lillard signed a three-year, $42 million contract. He has a player option for the 2027-28 season and a no-trade clause, which is extremely rare in today's NBA, as Lillard and LeBron James are the only players currently with one.
But what isn't discussed enough about Lillard's deal is that he actually left money on the table to return to Portland.
Damian Lillard left money on the table for Portland
Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report pointed out that Lillard did the Blazers a favor by agreeing to his $42 million deal.
"According to Spotrac, his first-year salary will be for the full mid-level exception amount of $14.1 million, and then his second-year salary goes down slightly to $13.4 million before his 2027-28 player option goes back up to $14.1 million. If he had gotten the maximum five percent raises on his three-year deal, he could have made $14.8 million in year two and $15.5 million in year three. The $41.6 million he's making is about $2.8 million below the max the Blazers were allowed to pay him on a three-year deal," Highkin wrote.
He also mentions that Lillard's no-trade clause could've been a trade-off for the slight pay cut, as it's unique for a non-max-salaried player to receive one.
$2.8 million isn't franchise-altering money to leave on the table. It's also not like Lillard needs more money. The Bucks decided to waive and stretch Lillard to free up cap space to sign Myles Turner. As a result, they now owe Lillard $113 million over the next five seasons, or roughly $22.5 million annually. He's the highest-paid player for next season at $70 million when you combine his salaries from Portland and Milwaukee.
Still, it's a generous move by Lillard, especially considering general manager Joe Cronin didn't handle his trade request as well as he probably would've hoped. After all, he ended up in Milwaukee instead of with his preferred team, the Miami Heat. But with Lillard's return, the no-trade clause, and the overlooked pay cut, all signs point towards that relationship being repaired.
Thanks to Lillard, the Blazers will have more financial wiggle room. According to ESPN, they are one of at least ten teams projected to have significant cap space in the 2026 offseason. That's perfect timing as Portland needs to retain key pieces of its young core, including Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Toumani Camara.
Even after a two-year absence, Lillard continues to look out for this franchise.