Discussion | What will Lillard’s future be like as a Portland Trail Blazers player?

(The original text was published on ESPN on August 5, and the author is Jamal Collier. The dates and times involved are local time. The views in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform.)

More than 400 children flocked to the YMCA gym in Beaverton, Oregon at the end of July to participate in the annual basketball summer camp. Damian Lillard Basketball Summer Camp continues in Oregon, but the event has been more of a brief reunion than an annual meeting with hometown stars in the past two years.

The most common questions asked by kids attending summer camps are both obvious and heartbreaking.

"So, when will you go home?"

In this training camp, such investigations are not required.

A week ago, Lillard announced that he would sign a three-year contract to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, which turned the camp into the happiest welcome party.

Most participants between the ages of 6 and 16 wear Lillard's jerseys—with Milwaukee green and Portland rose. Lillard joked that he received more questions about his return than basketball training.

Lillard said at a press conference in late July: "If it were two years ago, I probably wouldn't believe it would happen. Although I always felt that this would happen sooner or later, I didn't expect it to be so soon."

During the days of celebration of Lillard's return, the team's social media team recorded the moment he returned to the home locker room and the scene when he first saw his name brand - the name brand was still in his place when he left. This scene made him very excited.

According to sources, "He never thought of leaving (the Trail Blazers)." The children brought Lillard back to Portland, not only because he was loved by a group of kids at the 12th annual basketball camp, but also because he had the opportunity to spend more time with his children: 7-year-old Damian and 4-year-old twin daughters Carly and Carly.

Lillard told the kids his new contract with Portland at the local traffic lights.

His daughter replied, "Don't fly to Milwaukee anymore?"

At the Trail Blazers' reintroduction ceremony, Lillard sat at the podium with general manager Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups, answering questions about his injury - he tore his left Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs - and about his unpleasant experience of leaving Portland, as well as his old and new teams. Everyone’s answers revolve around an emotional theme—and that’s why they gathered together at the end of July.

Cronin said: "It always feels wrong to see Damian put on other teams' jerseys."

Lillard sat on Cronin's left and expressed the same view.

"It's always a bad feeling to be out of your hometown," he said. "I never thought of leaving this team. It feels right to be back in this community." Lillard always thought he would return to Portland, and sources revealed that before he was traded to Milwaukee, he told people around him that he planned to end his career at the Trail Blazers. Despite suffering a serious injury that left him unable to play next season, coupled with his deep vein thrombosis in his right calf four weeks ago, he still believes he can help the Trail Blazers young players start building a victory team in a city that has not witnessed the championship since 1977.

The only problem? He will be at least 36 when he joins.

His return to the Trail Blazers became one of the most exciting stories in the NBA offseason, but the core question remains: Where will Lillard's "post-Achilles tendon" career go after two seasons full of injury setbacks in Milwaukee?

When the free agent market opened in the summer of 2023, Lillard applied to leave the only team he had played for and made it clear that he wanted to join the then Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat to play alongside Jimmy Butler and Adebayo.

Trail Blazers ranked 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 33 wins and 49 losses, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Lillard and his agent Allen Goodwin have been urging the team to upgrade for years, but the team has never been able to do so.

By September, as Miami's trade showed no signs, Lillard began training at the Trail Blazers' training facility and reintegrated with the team.

According to ESPN, Goodwin told the Trail Blazers that Lillard would stay in Portland. However, after months of speculation, the team hopes to resolve the request before training camp begins. With only one week left, Lillard was traded to Milwaukee.

Lillard said that the main problem lies in poor communication and misunderstanding. “Cronin and I have never discussed (possible return),” he said. “This question has been unsolved and we let it go, and I think that’s the mistake.”

However, just a few months after the deal was completed, the steps for possible reunion began to take shape.

Goodwin and Cronin had a conversation in January, and they identified the shortcomings in the communication and said that if there were any unhappiness, it would have long since disappeared.

When Lillard returned to Portland for the first time as a visiting player later that month, he was greeted with multiple tribute videos and a warm welcome from the audience's standing ovation.

"I could foresee that I would wear the Trail Blazers jersey again before I ended my career," Lillard said at the time.

At the same time, he is working hard to adapt to the lives of new cities and new teams.

Nevertheless, he was selected into the All-Star in his first season in Milwaukee, averaging 24.3 points and 7 assists per game. However, his tacit understanding with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court did not form naturally.

"He never really had the chance to play like he did in his first 12 years of his career," Goodwin told ESPN. "He tried his best to win in the system he was in." In his second season of collaboration, Lillard and Antetokounmpo showed the kind of threat the Bucks—and most NBA commentators—was expected when they put them together. They became the top scorer in the NBA. The Bucks visited Portland again on January 28, 2025, for the second time Lillard has returned to his hometown to play. Before the game began, Lillard greeted several Trail Blazers executives, including Cronin, Chairman Jody Allen and Vice Chairman Burt Cold.

No one expected that in two months, Lillard would be diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, ending his regular season journey. What was even more unexpected was that in the four weeks after that, his left Achilles tendon was torn, which was likely to result in the 2025-26 season reimbursement.

The Bucks shocked the NBA and cut off nine-time All-Star players, paving the way for the most dramatic reunion in history.

If Lillard stays healthy, the Bucks may have a different offseason-from fine-tuning the roster and adding a new starting center to match Lillard's growing partnership with Antetokounmpo to possible trade Lillard. A source told ESPN that this is the last move the team can consider when trying to find another star to partner with Antetokounmpo.

However, Lillard's new recovery time changed the Bucks' offseason plan. At the peak of Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have been looking for ways to improve their roster. When the Bucks had the chance to sign center Miles Turner from the Pacers, the Bucks made a decisive move. They took unprecedented measures to lay off Lillard and pay his remaining $113 million contract in installments.

Lillard played 131 games in two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. He averaged 24.6 points and 7 assists per game, shooting 43% from the field. However, the Bucks failed to win any round of the playoff series in these two seasons. "It takes time to talk about winning the championship. It also takes time to build a tacit understanding and work together. I don't think they have enough time to do that," the source told ESPN.

The Trail Blazers immediately expressed their interest after Lillard became the most unexpected free agent.

Cronin visited Lillard's home in Portland, and sources told ESPN that he was visiting the team legend and to learn about his physical and mental state during his recovery from the Achilles tendon tear. During the conversation, both sides shared their respective outlook for the team's future.

Lillard said: "We didn't solve the problem for a long time, because we had never had a bad relationship and never disliked each other."

Lillard emphasized the reasons why he trusted the Trail Blazers again, including fighting side by side with young talents like Scutter Henderson and seeing the team bring in veterans like Ju Holiday.

On July 17, the transaction was officially announced.

When Lillard stepped into the press conference, his recovery was obvious. He did not wear any walking boots, and the reporters naturally raised relevant questions.

How much chance do you have to play this season?

It has only been three months since his Achilles tendon torn.

Lillard's face flashed a smile, and he tried to lower his head to hide it. Cronin paused, and the two exchanged tacit eyes. Then, they laughed together.

In fact, neither side was in a hurry to get him back. The Trail Blazers have the first-round pick in 2026, and that year's draft was considered a year of great potential. Lillard hopes to sign a three-year contract so that if necessary, the entire 2025-26 season can be restored, while also ensuring he plays in the 2026-27 season before exercising his player options in 2027. The contract also gave Lillard a veto on the transaction.

During the recovery period, Lillard kept his form by shooting one-legged shots and sitting shots, and believed that his recovery was ahead of schedule. He admitted that if he was young, he would definitely be eager to come back and participate in this season's game. But he also understands that NBA statistics are not good for him, and being too impatient may backfire and cause greater harm.

Lillard said that despite the serious injury this time, he was confident that he would return to the top through a patient recovery process. This mentality is exactly what he has driven to become one of the top 75 players in NBA history. However, it has become increasingly difficult for players of his age and role to achieve this.

For him, the biggest challenge will be psychological barriers. "He has been used to playing in a way throughout his career, but may have to adapt now to a role no longer as a main ball handler," an Eastern Conference coach told ESPN.

"He may need to play a role like Mike Conley of Minnesota," another Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. "Let someone dribble the ball and then he is on the court as the second playmaker and experienced veteran. This is a psychologically difficult issue." Lillard said he has consulted other NBA players who have suffered a torn Achilles tendon, including Kevin Durant and Rudy Guy, as well as NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He said the conversations combined with discussions with physiotherapists and doctors gave him confidence to return to the All-Star level.

"This is Lillard, I know him," Goodwin told ESPN, "I know his desire, I know his fighting spirit, I know how hard he works. I don't think this injury will end his career. Instead, it may extend his career because he always goes all out and now his body needs rest.. ”

Despite suffering a severe injury from a torn Achilles tendon in 2019 and missing the entire 2019-20 season, Durant’s strong return has convinced a Western Conference executive that Lillard can remain efficient. “Lillard, like Durant, is smart, high IQ and outstanding offensive ability,” he said. “They can maintain a high level for a long time. ”

However, he proposed another important comparison: Dominic Wilkins returned after a ruptured Achilles tendon in 1992 and was selected twice as All-Star. Wilkins returned to the field in just 10 months, played 71 games in the following season, and ranked fifth in the 1993 MVP vote.

Wilkins was 32 years old when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon.

An Western Conference executive said: "The biggest challenge for Lillard is that he will be a few years older than all players who have successfully returned. ”

The Trail Blazers still have time to look forward to the future this season, and so does Lillard.

Currently, he has returned home and is in a comfortable state. In the next stage of recovery, he will be committed to restoring the strength of his left leg and finding ways to overcome many difficulties.

Lillard said he will use the next season to ensure that every step is safe and there is no rush to achieve success.

Then he repeated it again.

"I look forward to returning to the peak. ”

Original text: JamalCollier

Compiled: selu