Nine-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
Lillard's deal includes a player option in 2027-28 and a no-trade clause.
Lillard joins the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James as the only NBA players with a true no-trade clause in their contracts. Bradley Beal had one before coming to a buyout agreement with the Phoenix Suns earlier this week.
Lillard and the Trail Blazers both deeply cared about a reunion in recent weeks -- with multiple meetings among the Portland franchise icon, general manager Joe Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups to bond together and move forward united on a new deal, sources said.
Obviously it's going to be a while before he can contribute on the court, and it remains to be seen how successful his recovery will be. It's also somewhat surprising given that Portland are looking to the future and Lillard is their past, especially given he'll be at least another year older before he can make a difference for them. It's a lot of money to tie up in maybes and nostalgia.
However...it's still pretty cool in my book. The split was kind of shocking given how loyal he was and for so long, and it seemed like he got cold feet about being traded after the wheels were in motion. There's goodwill in bringing back a franchise icon and allowing him to use the facilitates to rehab from an injury, with an eye to him being a veteran leader and contributor on a team that's rebuilding.
Pretty good deal for Dame, too. Big bucks still coming from the Bucks, even more from the Blazers, and the possibility of a triumphant return when he's healthy. You can certainly question the move as far as the team moving on into a new era, but I see why they did it.
