BOSTON (TNS)— The Celtics reportedly had interest in signing Damian Lillard after his surprise release from the Milwaukee Bucks. Instead, Lillard elected for a homecoming.
ESPN’s Shams Charania on Thursday reported the nine-time All-Star point guard was rejoining the Portland Trail Blazers on a three-year, $42 million contract. Lillard spent his first 11 NBA seasons in Portland before playing the last two in Milwaukee.
kAm%96 S`c >:==:@? 2G6C286 2??F2= D2=2CJ =:<6=J H2D 72C >@C6 E92? E96 r6=E:4D — H9@D6 AC642C:@FD =FIFCJ E2I D:EF2E:@? 2D 2 D64@?5\2AC@? E62> 7@C465 E96> E@ ;6EE:D@? <6J A=2J6CD E9:D @77D62D@? — H@F=5 92G6 366? H:==:?8 E@ A2J {:==2C5] %96 bd\J62C\@=5 😀 @?6 @7 E96 =628F6’D AC6>:6C @776?D:G6 A=2J6CD 2?5 >@DE AC@=:7:4 b\A@:?E D9@@E6CD[ 3FE 96 E@C6 9:D p49:==6D 😕 =2E6 pAC:= 2?5 😀 6IA64E65 E@ >:DD >@DE @C 2== @7 E96 a_ad\ae D62D@?]k^Am
kAm{:==2C5 “925 >F=E:A=6 >:5\=6G6= 6I46AE:@? 2?5 >:?:>F> @776CD 7C@> }qp 4@?E6?56CD[” A6C r92C2?:2’D C6A@CE] %96 E2IA2J6C |{t[ H9:49 E96 r6=E:4D 42? FD6 :7 E96J EC:> 2 D>2== 2>@F?E @7 D2=2CJ E@ 5C@A 324< 36=@H E96 D64@?5 2AC@?[ 😀 H@CE9 Sd]f >:==:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 qF4:==:@? C6>2:?:?8 @? 9:D AC6G:@FD 562=[ H9:49 E96J DEC6E4965 @G6C E96 ?6IE 7:G6 D62D@?D 7@C D2=2CJ 42A AFCA@D6D]k^Am
kAmx? !@CE=2?5[ {:==2C5 H:== E62> FA H:E9 7@C>6C r6=E:4D 8F2C5 yCF6 w@=:52J EH@ J62CD 27E6C E96J H6C6 EC2565 7@C 6249 @E96C 5FC:?8 E96 a_ab @77D62D@?] %96 %C2:= q=2K6CD DF3D6BF6?E=J 7=:AA65 w@=:52J E@ q@DE@?[ 2?5 E96 DE2?5@FE 5676?56C 96=A65 E96 r’D H:? E96 a_ac }qp 492>A:@?D9:A]k^Am
kAmq@DE@? EC2565 w@=:52J E@ E96 q=2K6CD =2DE >@?E9 😕 2 4@DE\4FEE:?8 >@G6[ C646:G:?8 @776?D:G6\7@4FD65 8F2C5 p?76C?66 $:>@?D 😕 C6EFC?] %96 r6=E:4D 2=D@ D9:AA65 zC:DE2AD !@CK:?8:D E@ pE=2?E2j =@DE {F<6 z@C?6E 😕 7C66 286?4Jj 2C6 6IA64E65 E@ =@D6 p= w@C7@C5[ 2D H6==j 2?5 H:== 36 H:E9@FE y2JD@? %2EF> 7@C 2E =62DE 2 =2C86 A@CE:@? @7 ?6IE D62D@? 2D 96 C64@G6CD 7C@> 9:D @H? p49:==6D DFC86CJ[ =62G:?8 E96> H:E9 2 C@DE6C E92E 😀 D:8?:7:42?E=J H62<6C E92? E96 @?6 E96J 7:6=565 7@C E96 A2DE EH@ D62D@?D]k^Am
kAm$:8?:?8 {:==2C5 H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 >256 q@DE@? 2 >@C6 4@>A6E:E:G6 E62> E9:D D62D@?[ 3FE :E 4@F=5 92G6 96=A65 2446=6C2E6 E96:C C6EFC? E@ 4@?E6?E:@? 😕 a_ae\af[ E9@F89 A=2J6CD 9:D 286 EJA:42==J 564=:?6 D92CA=J 27E6C >2;@C p49:==6D :?;FC:6D] %2EF> H2D @? 3@2C5 H:E9 E92E E62>\FA 2?5 >256 2 AFD9 E@ C64CF:E {:==2C5 — 9:D 7@C>6C E62>>2E6 @? %62> &$p — 244@C5:?8 E@ 2 C6A@CE 7C@> %96 q@DE@? v=@36’D v2CJ (2D93FC?]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 DF776C:?8 9:D :?;FCJ 😕 E96 @A6?:?8 C@F?5 @7 E96 }qp A=2J@77D[ {:==2C5 2=D@ >:DD65 E:>6 27E6C 36:?8 5:28?@D65 H:E9 566A G6:? E9C@>3@D:D 😕 9:D 42=7] w6 2G6C2865 ac]h A@:?ED 2?5 f]` 2DD:DED A6C 82>6 😕 dg 2AA62C2?46D] xE H2D E96 `_E9 4@?D64FE:G6 D62D@? 😕 H9:49 96 2G6C2865 2E =62DE ac A@:?ED[ 2?5 9:D D:IE9 DEC2:89E 42>A2:8? 2G6C28:?8 2E =62DE D6G6? 2DD:DED]k^Am
kAm(:E9 ?6H4@>6C $:>@?D @? 2? 6IA:C:?8 4@?EC24E[ E96 r6=E:4D 4FCC6?E=J 92G6 ;FDE EH@ 8F2C5D D:8?65 36J@?5 E9:D D62D@?i DE2CE6C s6CC:4< (9:E6 2?5 }qp $:IE9 |2? @7 E96 *62C !2JE@? !C:E492C5] ys s2G:D@?[ E96 a_ac\ad v {628F6 |’![ 😀 @? 2 ?@?\8F2C2?E665 562= 7@C E9:D D62D@?[ 2?5 D64@?5\C@F?5 C@@<:6 |2I $9F=82 😀 @? 2 EH@\H2J 4@?EC24E]k^Am
kAm$:>@?D[ H9@ A=2J65 7:G6 D62D@?D 2=@?8D:56 {:==2C5 5FC:?8 E96 =2EE6C’D 7:CDE !@CE=2?5 DE:?E[ 😀 E96 >@DE 244@>A=:D965 A=2J6C E96 r6=E:4D 92G6 25565 E9:D @77D62D@?] %96 ae\J62C\@=5 H2D 2 7F==\E:>6 DE2CE6C 7@C E96 =2DE E9C66 D62D@?D[ 2G6C28:?8 a_]f A@:?ED 2?5 c]f 2DD:DED A6C 82>6 5FC:?8 E92E DA2?] {:<6 9:D 7@C>6C E62>>2E6[ 96’D 2 DE2?5@FE b\A@:?E D9@@E6Cj {:==2C5 😀 @?6 @7 ;FDE D6G6? A=2J6CD H9@ 2EE6>AE65 >@C6 E9C66D A6C 82>6 E92? $:>@?D 5:5 @G6C E96 =2DE E9C66 D62D@?D]k^Am
kAmq@DE@?’D @E96C 255:E:@?D 2C6 42C66C 3242? 7@CH2C5 v6@C86D }:2?8 2?5 6I\|:??6D@E2 %:>36CH@=G6D C6D6CG6D {F<2 v2CK2 2?5 y@D9 |:?@EE] %96 r6=E:4D 2=D@ 5C27E65 `h\J62C\@=5 H:?8 wF8@ v@?K2=6K 😕 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 2?5 46?E6C p>2C: (:==:2>D 2?5 $9F=82 😕 E96 D64@?5]k^Am