Damian Lillard wasn’t expected to see an NBA floor for any kind of competition this season. But on Saturday, he changed that.
It wasn’t a full return to action for the veteran guard, but he did win the 2026 3-Point Contest by taking down Devin Booker and Kon Knueppel in the final round — Lillard’s third all-time victory in the event, which ties him for the most all-time with Larry Bird and Craig Hodges.
While fans got a glimpse at another electric performance from “Dame Time” on Saturday night, it may be some time before he officially makes his return to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Here’s the latest on Lillard’s Achilles injury recovery after he won the 3-Point contest on Saturday.
MORE: Full results from Damian Lillard’s 3-Point Contest win
Why is Damian Lillard not playing?
Lillard has been sidelined since April 2025, when he tore his left Achilles in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers. He was wrapping up his second season with the Bucks at the time, and he had recently made a return from a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis that sidelined him for multiple weeks.
Milwaukee was eliminated from the playoffs soon afterward, and Lillard entered the 2025 offseason with a long injury recovery ahead of him. Given his age (35), it was expected that Lillard would miss most of the 2025-26 season, if not all of it.
Eventually, Lillard will be back in action once he’s reached a full recovery from his Achilles tear. He is around 10 months into his recovery, which is certainly a point where athletes can participate in more intense activities — such as winning a 3-Point Contest.
Lillard is certainly far-along enough in his recovery that he felt comfortable participating in Saturday’s event, even without any action on the court so far this season. The 3-Point contest wasn’t too taxing on his legs, allowing him to participate even while technically still in recovery from his injury.
Damian Lillard is now a three time champ of the 3-PT Contest 🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/qD8DKlp84A
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) February 14, 2026Did Damian Lillard get traded?
No, Lillard did not get traded. But he did make a massive team change this past offseason, and it was a welcomed reunion with his longtime Portland Trail Blazers squad.
The Bucks, aiming to contend with Giannis Antetokounmpo in his prime, chose to waive Lillard in the offseason despite his massive contract. That made him a star free agent, but also one who was not expected to contribute on the court in the 2025-26 season due to his injury.
The Blazers turned out to be the perfect fit for Lillard as he made his recovery, offering him an organization and fanbase he was well-familiar with, the chance to rehab his Achilles without a rush to return, and an opportunity to bring veteran leadership — and eventually, elite scoring — to a younger team that needed it.
Lillard signed a three-year contract with Portland last summer, with the expectation that he would be sidelined in 2025-26, but then bring his typical offensive prowess by the 2026-27 season. In Saturday’s 3-Point Contest, he officially donned a Blazers jersey in a competition for the first time since he left the franchise a few years ago.
DAMIAN LILLARD WINS THE 3-PT CONTEST 🤯
He hasn’t played in a game all season as he recovers from a torn Achilles. pic.twitter.com/0eCRfLRkUm
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) February 14, 2026
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Damian Lillard injury timeline
Lillard, even with his performance in the 3-Point Contest, is not expected to return this season. Ever since he tore his Achilles in April 2025, the expectation has been that as a 30-plus-year-old guard, he’d need the full 2025-26 season to recover.
Portland has hung around .500 this season, owning a 27-29 record at the All-Star Break with Deni Avdija emerging as an All-Star himself. But considering the Blazers have more of a long-term outlook in their rebuild, including young pieces like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, they won’t be rushing Lillard back to make a title push this year.
For now, Lillard is expected to return to action in the 2026-27 season, where the Trail Blazers could roll out a lineup of:
Damian LillardJrue HolidayDeni AvdijaToumani CamaraDonovan ClinganDamian Lillard contract
After being waived by the Bucks in the offseason, Lillard signed a three-year, $41.6 million deal to reunite with the Trail Blazers. The final year carries a player option.
The AAV of around $13.87 million was far below what Lillard has historically earned — but his injury, age, massive cap hit from his Bucks exit and a potential hometown discount likely all played a factor.
Per Spotrac, Lillard carries a cap hit of $14.1 million this season. He will be under contract with Portland through his age-36 season, with a player option for his age-37 season.