Damian Lillard has been one of the best point guards of this generation ever since he stepped foot in the league after being drafted to the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 6 overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft. After spending his first 11 seasons in the league with the Trail Blazers, Portland decided to move on from the then-33-year-old Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, ending his first stint in Rip City. It was a sad send-off for Trail Blazers fans, as Portland's all-time leading scorer and leader in three-pointers made was sent off to another team.
Damian Lillard Explains Decision to Return to the Portland Trail Blazers in Latest Interview originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Damian Lillard has been one of the best point guards of this generation ever since he stepped foot in the league after being drafted to the Portland Trail Blazers with the No. 6 overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft.
After spending his first 11 seasons in the league with the Trail Blazers, Portland decided to move on from the then-33-year-old Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, ending his first stint in Rip City.
It was a sad send-off for Trail Blazers fans, as Portland's all-time leading scorer and leader in three-pointers made was sent off to another team.
Well, just two years later, after a disappointing end to his time with the Milwaukee Bucks, Lillard decided to return to the Trail Blazers on a three-year, $42 million deal, the team announced on Saturday.
Lillard is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the Bucks' season-ending playoff series against the Indian Pacers back in late April, but this won't stop now 35-year-old point guard in having an emotional homecoming with the team that drafted him out of Weber State.
Lillard spoke for the first time after signing his new deal, and it seems that there's no bad blood between him and the Trail Blazers' organization even though the team traded him just two years ago.
"Usually when I have to make a decision, I put a lot of thought into it. I ask a lot of questions to the people around me, but this was a decision that wasn't hard at all for me to make... I'm just thankful to be back, and it just feels like the perfect situation at the perfect time. I'm just happy to be back," Lillard told the press on Monday.
"This was a decision that wasn't hard at all for me to make"
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 22, 2025
Damian Lillard says going back to Portland was an EASY decision 🔥
pic.twitter.com/fu7o3WK9YW
His return as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers will have a delay, but it seems that NBA fans are excited to see Damian Lillard return to the city where he's spent the majority of his career.
He will join newly acquired players like rookies Yang Hansen, Caleb Love, and Jrue Holiday as Portland looks to improve from their 36-46 record in the 2024-25 season.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
