The idea of Damian Lillard moving back to the West Coast is gaining traction after his exit from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Damian Lillard’s 2025 NBA postseason run was cut short as the Milwaukee Bucks star tore his Achilles tendon in the first round.
While Dame is recovering from the horrific injury, he made headlines after the Bucks shockingly waived him to make room to sign Myles Turner on a four-year, $107 million deal.
With Lillard now an unrestricted free agent, there has been chatter around his next destination, and the Golden State Warriors have been floated as a potential destination for the 34-year-old.
Photo by John Fisher/Getty ImagesPatrick Beverley loves the idea of Damian Lillard joining the Golden State Warriors
It’s rare to see a player of Lillard’s caliber getting waived before the regular season. After all, the Bucks will still have to pay $113 million to Lillard, albeit spread over five seasons.
Putting that aside, one may wonder what’s next for the 9x NBA All-Star? Well, Patrick Beverley believes fans will see Dame back on the West Coast following a two-year stint with the Bucks.
Damian Lillard’s Stats2023-24 season2024-25 seasonPoints24.3 PPG24.9 PPGRebounds4.4 RPG4.7 RPGAssists7.0 APG7.1 APG
“I’m pretty sure he wants to stay West Coast, I don’t know how that looks. He’s hurt too. I don’t even know how this works, I ain’t ever seen anything like it. He can go anywhere he wants,” Beverley said on his podcast.
While Beverley is not sure about Lillard’s future, his co-host Adam Ferrone (Rone) sees the veteran guard returning to his hometown, Oakland.
“I could see him going home. I think that poses some problems defensively, but it would be an interesting lineup for him. Him and Steph [Curry],” Rone suggested on the podcast.
“That’s basically what he was modeling his career after when he was shooting 20 three-pointers a game up on the [Portland Trail] Blazers, I think that would be a fun and interesting one,” he added.
Joining forces with the likes of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler would be an interesting move for Lillard as Beverley is on board with the idea.
“That’d be a good one, that ain’t a bad place to be. Man, get well Dame,” he stated.
Marc Spears reports Golden State Warriors have been in ‘touch’ with Damian Lillard
Following a second-round exit in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Warriors are undoubtedly expected to improve their roster ahead of the new season.
One method to do that would be forming a backcourt duo of Curry and Lillard. In fact, veteran NBA insider Marc Spears has heard that the Dubs have already been in touch with Dame.
“Spears is also reporting that the Warriors have been in touch with Dame. Spears adds Lillard will take his time, but there’s the possible lure of playing close to where he grew up in the Bay Area,” ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk revealed.
Once again, let’s not forget that Lillard will likely miss the majority of the upcoming season due to his torn Achilles injury.
But once he returns, playing for the Warriors will certainly give Dame a better shot at winning the first NBA Championship of his career.