Following slightly exceeding a fortnight exploring the open market, Damian Lillard has selected his destination.
A well-known setting.
Sources indicate that Lillard is returning to the Portland Trail Blazers, having consented to a three-year agreement valued at $42 million.
Lillard, in the process of rehabilitation from an Achilles injury sustained on April 27, was originally chosen as the sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Blazers. During his tenure, he secured the Rookie of the Year award and earned seven All-Star selections. Throughout his 11 seasons in Portland, Lillard maintained averages of 25.2 points and 6.7 assists per contest.
Lillard’s departure from the Milwaukee Bucks occurred through a stretch provision, a strategy intended to grant the team the necessary monetary scope to bring in free-agent center Myles Turner.
It marked another challenging period for Lillard, following the prior, serious physical setback.
Dan Devine, a senior writer for Yahoo Sports, provided commentary on Lillard’s period in Malwuakee:
Lillard contributed effectively, consistent with his career norm: he accumulated 24.6 points on a .604 true shooting percentage, along with 7 assists and 4.5 rebounds, averaging 35.7 minutes per game over two seasons in Milwaukee. He ranked among the NBA’s top performers, securing the 10th spot in points and assists per game and the 11th position in offensive estimated plus-minus during the past season. However, he never fully aligned within the dual-player dynamic with [Giannis] Antetokounmpo. The spontaneous understanding necessary to elevate a team beyond the simple addition of its parts never quite evolved. He also did not conclusively prove to be the substantial offensive augmentation required to warrant the parting with the defensively sound Jrue Holiday — an acknowledgment that turned out to be particularly unfortunate when Holiday moved to Boston and immediately delivered critical two-way performance to the Celtics’ 2024 NBA title journey.
Following being traded for Holiday in 2023, Lillard is now his teammate in Portland, although it seems unlikely that the point guard will see game action in the coming season.
It is hoped that Lillard’s situation will improve.
Here you’ll find our top 27 overall free-agent valuations and where players have signed.
The foundation of this ranking integrates contractual outlooks — representing worth relative to compensation — the potential of more youthful players, the risk of decline among more seasoned players, a focus on proficient long-distance shooters (reflective of team preferences!), and past patterns of injury.
As an illustrative example, both Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon appear in the 20s, a placement largely due to their recurring periods of unavailability in recent years. Their listing would have been higher had their participation been more consistent.
Proceeding onward, let’s delve into the topic at hand.
Free-agent position classifications: Point guards | Shooting guards | Small Forwards | Power forwards | Centers
