Trail Blazers rookie Hansen Yang uses his signature gesture to show that he is ready for Damien Lillard s return

After being cut by the Milwaukee Bucks, Damian Lillard found himself with unlimited choices in the next chapter of his career. He finally decided to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, a young player on the team was smiling excitedly. On draft night, the Trail Blazers won 16th overall in a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. In the summer league, his all-around skills at the center position quickly swept the entire league. Many compared his playing style to three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

Hisson was asked about Damian Lillard's return to the Trail Blazers in an interview with the media after the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Houston Rockets on Friday. The rookie big man reacted quickly and recreated the All-Star guard’s “Dame Time” celebration.

Hersen seemed excited about the situation, but he still needs to wait for a while to really play against Lillard. Lillard is expected to miss most of the 2025-26 season due to an Achilles tendon injury during the playoffs. That said, Lillard might stay on the team in some capacity because he wanted to do all the rehabilitation training in Portland.

For Lillard, returning to Portland gave him a chance to get closer to his family and potentially end his career where it all started.

After signing Damian Lillard, former NBA players are full of expectations for the Trail Blazers' future

Although it seems that the Portland Trail Blazers are going to rebuild, this is not the case. With Damian Lillard and Ju Holiday joining, the current lineup is an interesting mix of youngsters and veterans. This may complicate the Trail Blazers’ timeline to some extent, but a former player is still looking forward to their future.

Having the right senior team is essential when building a young core. This is something the Trail Blazers don’t need to worry about, because they now have a lot of high-quality players to seek guidance. Because of this, Steve Smith can only say something good about the trajectory of the series.

"You're talking about adults who know how to play the right way, live the right way in the community, do the right thing," Smith said. "That's Chauncey Billups, Ju Holiday, and Damian Lillard."

"In the next two years, I think the Portland Trail Blazers will be a team we're starting to talk about."

If the Trail Blazers' core can continue to develop and Lillard can return to their past state, then the Trail Blazers will likely be an interesting team worthy of attention from the West.

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