Damian Lillard is back in Portland after 16 months of rehabilitation, and he is not interested in letting an Achilles tear set the terms of his finish. The 36-year-old guard said a television prediction made on the night of the injury — that fans had seen the last of the old Dame — became fuel rather than a verdict.
“That kind of fired me up,” Lillard said, recalling the commentary after he returned home and watched playoff coverage. “I’m somebody who gets up and fights every time.”
Quick facts
- Lillard returned to the Trail Blazers on a three-year, $42 million contract signed in July 2025.
- He missed roughly 16 months after tearing his left Achilles with Milwaukee during a first-round series against Indiana.
- Portland opened preseason with a 123-118 win over Golden State; Lillard posted 15 points in 19 minutes.
- Ja Morant also played 19 minutes against the Warriors, recording eight points and five assists.
- The Blazers now have Lillard, Morant, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday in a crowded guard rotation.
Lillard spent his first 11 NBA seasons with the Blazers, who chose him sixth overall in the 2012 draft. He left for Milwaukee, played two seasons there, then returned as Portland’s all-time leading scorer and a nine-time All-Star.
His final Bucks season was interrupted by deep vein thrombosis, limiting him to 58 games, though he still averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists. The Achilles injury came in Milwaukee’s playoff matchup with Indiana.
Now healthy, Lillard said he feels ready for whatever role and workload is required. But he also sees little reason to grind through 35-plus minutes nightly when Portland has accumulated so much ballhandling depth.
“I can do whatever I need to do,” Lillard said. “But at this point, I don’t think I have to wear myself out in the regular season playing 35, 36, 37 minutes when it’s not needed.”
The preseason opener offered an early look at the Lillard-Morant pairing. Both guards worked in 19-minute stints as Portland outscored Golden State 123-118, with Lillard supplying 15 points while Morant added eight points and five assists.
Backcourt traffic
Morant arrived in an offseason trade, creating an unusually packed Portland guard room that also includes Henderson and Holiday. The two-time All-Star is looking for a reset after appearing in only 79 games across the past three seasons because of injuries and suspensions.
Morant owns a 22.4-point career scoring average and said he sees his task beside Lillard as reducing the pressure that has followed Portland’s longtime lead guard. He pointed to Lillard’s shooting range as a reason the pairing can work.
“My job is to make his job easier,” Morant said. “I can take away some of the doubles, take some of those shots and give him cleaner looks. With the way he shoots, that shouldn’t be an issue.”
Lillard’s view is similarly straightforward: move the ball, let the guards and wings attack, and trust the spacing. He cited Morant and Deni Avdija as players who can push the ball or get into the paint, opening kick-out chances for his 3-point shot.
“If we’re doing the right things and playing the right way, there will be a lot of opportunities,” Lillard said.
The roster change comes amid a broader transition in Portland. Tiago Splitter, who replaced Chauncey Billups after Billups was arrested in a federal gambling investigation and guided the Blazers to the playoffs, departed for the Chicago Bulls. Portland replaced him with former Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori.
Tom Dundon assumed control of the franchise before last season ended, and the organization cut more than 70 staff positions during the summer. On the floor, Lillard’s return gives Nori a veteran centerpiece, but one who is openly prepared to share the possessions, the minutes and the burden.
For Lillard, whose career averages stand at 25.1 points and 6.7 assists, the comeback is less about chasing the workload of his younger Portland years. It is about proving that an injury, a long rehab and a loud opinion on television did not close the book.
