There is a perception that Damian Lillard has given up on winning a championship by returning to the Portland Trail Blazers. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports stated on July 17th that he decided to return to his original franchise rather than continue chasing a championship.
“Lillard could have spent this season rehabbing, watching how the league played out, then signed where he thought he had the best chance to chase a ring. Or, he could have waited and started a bidding war next summer to see who would pay him the most money and chased the almighty dollar”.
Lillard’s Return: Misread as Surrender
However, that narrative is misleading as he chose to return to Portland for rehabilitation purposes. On July 2nd, Chris Haynes stated on NBA TV that Damian Lillard asked the Milwaukee Bucks if his injury rehabilitation could take place in a location closer to his family.
The Bucks reportedly denied that request to allow him to rehab out of state. Milwaukee’s reaction to Lillard’s request is entirely normal, as NBA teams typically want to oversee the rehabilitation process for players with significant injuries.
On February 12th, 2021, The Wall Street Journal published an article sharing details about Kevin Durant’s rehabilitation process for his Achilles’ tendon injury. The article states that the physiotherapist in charge of Kevin Durant’s rehab process moved to Brooklyn. The physiotherapist most likely decided because at least a portion of Durant’s rehabilitation took place in the Nets’ facility.
As the process continued in the team’s practice facility, they could track exactly how he was progressing. They didn’t have to ask Durant how he felt. They could look at his data. In that way, there has never been a better time to tear your Achilles.
Durant isn’t the only player who has utilized the organizational facility for injury rehabilitation. There have been numerous videos and pictures of Jayson Tatum inside the Boston Celtics’ facility this summer as he recovers from an Achilles’ tendon injury.
Damian Lillard’s family ties
Given all of these factors, the Portland Trail Blazers were the only logical destination for Damian. On December 1st, 2022, Damian Lillard told Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype that several family members had moved from his hometown of Oakland to Portland.
“I’m also close to Oakland. A lot of my family can come to visit and be around all the time. A lot of my family has moved to Portland and established themselves there. I’ve been invested in the community. It’s home for me at this point”.
Lillard’s connection to his family reportedly affected his tenure in Milwaukee. Lillard’s family did not want to move with him to Milwaukee, leading to a lonely experience off the court.
“Being away from my kids is tough. In Portland, my life was set up. My mom was down the street; my brother was the other way down the street. My sister was down the street. My kids in school. Just my whole life was set up perfectly right there,” Lillard said in an interview with Chris Mannix from Sports Illustrated. “It was a great situation. So just leaving that behind alone is a lot. And then you add the basketball side to it, and that is what it is
Therefore, Damian Lillard signed with Portland to be near his family, as he will not play for most of next season due to injury rehabilitation. Furthermore, he has free access to an organization that will provide him with all the necessary resources to complete his rehabilitation. If he had not signed with the team, he would have spent a significant amount of money assembling the necessary resources to complete the rehab.
Portland’s Strategic PR Play
Now you are probably asking yourself why Portland would want to sign 35 a 35-year-old Lillard? Well, the answer is that Portland wants prospective free agents or trade candidates to be receptive to joining the organization.
A common talking point among NBA players is how organizations tweet their best players in franchise history. On April 23rd, 2025, The Athletic published an article in which they spoke to several anonymous players about the Luka trade. One of the main themes in the article was that organizations do not care about the players on a human level; they view this solely as a business.
“I think that s— was idiotic, but I don’t think it was a bad trade. I just think that the way they did it and everything about it was idiotic. I think them shopping the franchise (face) of their organization — for a lot of players who already feel that this is a business (like), ‘The motherf—ers don’t care about you,’ I think it sets an example, like, ‘All right, why should I give a f— about this team if this is how they’re going (to treat me)? I came in here and I was All-NBA, like, five times in six seasons, an MVP candidate, and don’t even get told about none of this.’ I’m like, ‘This organization doesn’t give a f— about me. Why would I give a f— about any organization?’”
Before re-signing Damian, Portland had the same reputation, as they refused to trade Damian Lillard to his preferred destination, the Miami Heat. After Portland made this decision, Damian Lillard told them he preferred to stay with the organization. Unfortunately, the Portland Trailblazers general manager told him it was too late to come back and sent him to Milwaukee.
Bringing back Damian allows Portland to create the public perception that they are open to mending fences with players when they have made a mistake. Portland’s gesture has opened the door for players to be receptive to joining the organization from now on.
I believe player recruitment is the only reason why Portland agreed to this move. Before Portland decided to trade Lillard, he was unable to significantly affect home attendance during the final years of his first stint with the organization.
According to ESPN, Portland ranked 12th in home attendance during the final two seasons of his first stint with the team, averaging 17,963 fans. During the 2023-24 season, Portland ranked 13th in home attendance, averaging 18,326 fans.
Will Lillard Actually Retire a Blazer? Not Necessarily
However, the decision made by both parties does not mean that Damian Lillard will retire as a Portland Trail Blazer. In reality, he will utilize the Trailblazer facility to aid in his rehabilitation process while being close to his family. After concluding the rehab, both parties will evaluate if the organization is close to contending for a playoff spot or championship.
If the organization is nowhere close, both parties will likely explore the possibility of trading Damian Lillard to a contender by the 2027 trade deadline. If a trade occurs, it will benefit both parties, as Damian Lillard will have the opportunity to compete for a championship, and the organization will receive salary relief or a future asset.
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