{"id":180976,"date":"2025-07-19T08:34:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T08:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/180976\/"},"modified":"2025-07-19T08:34:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T08:34:16","slug":"damian-lillard-chooses-his-next-nba-team-and-agrees-42m-contract-after-leaving-the-milwaukee-bucks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/180976\/","title":{"rendered":"Damian Lillard chooses his next NBA team and agrees $42m contract after leaving the Milwaukee Bucks"},"content":{"rendered":"

By JAKE NISSE<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 18:10 EDT, 17 July 2025 | Updated: 18:54 EDT, 17 July 2025 <\/p>\n

Damian Lillard is set for a stunning reunion with the Portland<\/a> Trail Blazers after being cut by the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lillard, 35, tore his Achilles in the first round of the playoffs and Milwaukee later opted to waive and stretch the remaining $103 million left on his deal to refashion the roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And the All-Star guard will now be returning to the franchise which drafted him, as ESPN’s Shams Charania<\/a>\u00a0reported he’ll be signing a three-year, $42million deal with the team.<\/p>\n

Lillard is set to make $141million over the next two seasons between his new Blazers deal and the money left over from his Bucks contract.<\/p>\n

The Bucks elected to stretch the remaining money on Lillard’s contract over five seasons in terms of their salary cap, as they poached Myles Turner from the Pacers on a four-year, $108million deal.<\/p>\n

Lillard is expected to receive a no-trade clause in his new deal and a player option for the 2027-28 season. He will miss next season with his Achilles injury.<\/p>\n

\"Damian <\/p>\n

Damian Lillard has landed with a new team following his release from the Milwaukee Bucks<\/p>\n

\"Lillard <\/p>\n

Lillard is returning to the Portland Trail Blazers, where he became a franchise icon in 11 seasons<\/p>\n

While Lillard divorced his wife Kay’la Hanson last year, the couple share three children who still live in Portland with their mother.<\/p>\n

And moving back closer to his family was of the ‘ultimate importance,’ Charania reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lillard is a fan favorite and franchise icon in Portland, where he was drafted in 2012 with the sixth overall pick.<\/p>\n

He spent the first 11 years of his career there – earning seven All-Star selections, becoming the franchise’s leading scorer all-time and leading the team to the Western Conference Finals in the 2018-19 postseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The point guard is returning to team at a more transitional time, as they finished 12th in the Western Conference with a 36-46 record last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The team also traded Anfernee Simons to Boston for Jrue Holiday, while there is also optimism around young talents like Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija.<\/p>\n

Portland added Chinese big man Yang Hansen in the draft with the No. 16 overall pick, and the 20-year-old has impressed in the Summer League.<\/p>\n

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