Damian Lillard Nearing Deal to Reunite With Portland Trail Blazers, NBA Fans React

Lillard's new deal reportedly consists of a player option in 2027-28 and a no-trade clause.

July 17, 2025

A man wearing a black outfit and a medical boot sits courtside at a basketball game, surrounded by spectators in an arena.

Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Image

Damian Lillard is coming back home.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers are closing in on a deal that will reunite the nine-time NBA All-Star with the organization that he played with for over a decade.

Lillard was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this month through the league's stretch provision. The option allowed to pay Dame the remaining $113 million on his contract over the next five seasons, instead of two.

Milwaukee quickly used the newfound cap space, reaching an agreement with center Myles Turner on a four-year, $108.9 million contract.

In order for a reunion to become a real possibility, Lillard and the Trail Blazers needed to reconcile their differences. That moment happened “weeks ago” when team general manager Joe Cronin visited Dame at his home, as reported by senior NBA insider Chris Haynes.

Two months before he was traded to the Bucks in 2023, Lillard requested a trade from the Trail Blazers after 11 seasons with the franchise that drafted him. While Dame made it clear that the Miami Heat was his preferred destination, Cronin was fielding offers from all interested teams because, as he publicly stated, “We are going to do what's best for the team in pursuit of” winning.

In a 2024 interview with Sports Illustrated, Lillard confessed he felt “lonely” in Milwaukee with his three children, mother, extended family, and friends living in Portland.

“It’s definitely lonely because I’m such a family guy,” he said. “My life is my family. After games, I would come out and my whole family would be back there. My kids coming out of the playroom. My mom, my brother, my cousins lived there, you know what I mean?”

“My best friends live in Portland,” Lillard added. “So I would come out, we would go to dinner. They might come to my house. After practice, I might go to my mom’s house and just chill. That’s how my life was. So, I mean, I’m fine because I’m grown. But it’s definitely lonely. I’m filled up by those people.”

Lillard is now returning to the city that he made his home for what could be the remaining years of his NBA career.

Of course, NBA fans on X and beyond had to let their opinions be heard about the veteran star's new move.