Damian Lillard is back home to Portland Trailblazers after his two-year stint with the Milwaukee Bucks did not produce significant result and ended in the worst possible way with a season-ending injury.
He signed a $42 million deal for three years to return to the team that drafted him. The problem is, the first year will be spent with him not suiting up at all as the team already made it known that he will be fully focusing on rehabbing the ACL injury he incurred in Game 4 agains the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs.
“Damian Lillard will use the entire 2025-26 season to rehab the Achillies tear, and then return for the Portland Trail Blazers make his reunion and return in that arena in 2026-27,” NBA insider Shams Charania reported last week.
“Now he’s gonna be in Portland. Be able to rehab there. Spend time with the community there. Be the leader for a young team.”
The latter part fulfills his wish from the Bucks organization to be closer to his family in Portland.
Damian Lillard will be an assistant coach
Lillard will not be available and do what he does best for the Blazers, to put the ball on the hoop.
It has been said that he will focus on his rehab but his coach Chauncey Billups reveals he’ll do more than that. He will be his assistant coach.
“I told him that this year he’s going to be the highest-paid assistant coach in league history,” Billups joked in in front of reporters while sitting next two Dame during introductory press conference.
“Cuz I’mma be putting him to work every day.”
Billups and Lillard already spent one season together.
Lillard becoming an extension of Billups is expected not just because he is their leader and main point guard but also because of his experience.
He is expected to become a mentor to young players like Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, and their exciting rookie Hansen Yang.
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