Lillard Says Return to Portland Is “Exactly Where I Want to Be”
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Damian Lillard expected to spend the next two seasons in Milwaukee, but the seven-time All-Star says he is thrilled to be back with the Portland Trail Blazers after a surprising split with the Bucks.
During Monday’s episode of The Sideline with Andy Katz, Lillard said living again in his longtime NBA home has brought a level of contentment he “rarely feels,” citing the chance to drive his children to school and visit his mother’s house as everyday perks of his Portland comeback.
The path from Portland to Milwaukee — and back
Lillard’s bond with the Blazers appeared fractured two summers ago when he requested a trade, hoping to land in Miami. General manager Joe Cronin held firm, unswayed by the Heat’s offers, and eventually sent the guard to Milwaukee late in the 2023 off-season.
Teaming with Giannis Antetokounmpo promised championship potential, but injuries limited the duo. Milwaukee posted 49 wins in 2023-24 and 48 in 2024-25, bowing out in the first round each year.
The partnership unraveled last March when Lillard was diagnosed with deep-vein thrombosis in his right calf. He returned for the postseason, only to tear his Achilles tendon, an injury expected to sideline him for the entire 2025-26 campaign.
Seeking payroll flexibility, the Bucks waived and stretched the final two years of Lillard’s contract and redirected the savings toward free-agent center Myles Turner.
Recovery on track
Lillard told Katz he began rehab immediately after Achilles surgery and recently resumed running, roughly four months into recovery. He plans to take a cautious approach, emphasizing that he will not come back “as a reduced version” of himself.
For now, the 35-year-old is focused on healing and enjoying the comforts of home. “I wake up thankful every day,” he said of his return to Portland. “This is where I belong.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
