In one of the more surprising moves of the NBA offseason, Damian Lillard signed a three-year $42 million contract to rejoin the Portland Trail Blazers.
After suffering a season-ending Achilles injury with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2025 Playoffs, Lillard’s new contract with the Blazers means he is now one of only two players in the NBA to have a no-trade clause.
The other? LeBron James.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Lillard’s deal includes a no-trade clause because he previously spent multiple seasons with Portland and had ‘four years of particular service’ which fits within the NBA’s guidelines that allow for a no-trade clause.
Lillard rejoins Portland after spending two seasons with the Bucks. Milwaukee failed to win a playoff series with their duo of Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Lillard Is Back Home
While it wasn’t the ending Lillard hoped for with the Bucks, he now returns to the Portland team where he spent the first 11 seasons of his NBA career. ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania stated that the Blazers made the move largely so Lillard could rehab from his recent Achilles injury and spend time with his family in Portland.
“Being home in Portland, being back with his three kids was the by far the biggest, most important factor in Damian Lillard deciding to return and resign with the Trail Blazers,” Charania said on SportsCenter. “He was going to spend the year rehabbing his Achilles tear in the Portland area anyway, so returning to the Blazers franchise, even though he requested a trade two years ago, was something he deeply cared about.”
Charania said Lillard received contract options from other franchises like the Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with ‘dozens of other teams.’ He stated that Lillard will now make $140 million across the next two seasons. With his Blazers contract, he will also receive a majority of the remaining money from his previous deal with the Bucks after agreeing to a contract buyout.
Just days ago, only James and Bradley Beal had that no-trade clause in their contracts. However, Lillard now takes Beal’s spot on that list after he agreed to a buyout with the Phoenix Suns to join the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal.
Portland Adds Dame And Jrue To Young Squad
Lillard does not expect to play in the 2025-26 season and instead will use the year to rehab from his Achilles injury. The Trail Blazers team he now rejoins differs significantly from the team he left just two years ago, but his addition on a mid-level deal comes as Portland made strides in the tail end of last season.
The Blazers finished last season with a 22-18 record, and despite missing out on the playoffs, had a top-five defensive rating in the league after the 2025 All-Star break.
Portland also made another big offseason move, sending leading scorer Anfernee Simons to the Celtics in exchange for Jrue Holiday. Both he and Lillard rejoin Portland as veterans on a team primarily led by young talent, much of which they acquired by trading each of them two years ago.
Of their currently constructed roster, Portland’s lineup features Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, Matisse Thybulle, and Donovan Clingan. They most recently added Yang Hansen and Caleb Love as rookies in the 2025 NBA Draft, both of whom are averaging at least 10 points and five rebounds through four Summer League games.
While the original departure from Portland and subsequent stint with the Bucks likely didn’t go down as Lillard originally hoped, he now returns to the team where he is their all-time leading scorer. Joining James as the only players in the NBA with a no-trade clause, he is likely to play out the entire three-year deal with the Blazers, and perhaps end his career on the team where he spent the historic first 11 years of his career.
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