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Damian Lillard Gets $70 Million From Blazers and Bucks While Missing 2025-26 Season
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- Damian Lillard Gets $70 Million From Blazers and Bucks While Missing 2025-26 Season
Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
"Dame Time" is returning home. Damian Lillard is signing a three-year, $42 million deal to return to the Portland Trail Blazers , according to multiple reports. With his new contract, Lillard will be getting paid $70 million total by the Blazers and the Milwaukee Bucks as he sits out the 2025-26 season to rehab his Achilles injury.
The Blazers traded Lillard to the Bucks ahead of the 2023-24 season following 11 years in Portland. The Bucks were hoping Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo would form a dynamic duo that would lead them to multiple championships, but Milwaukee failed to advance past the first round in their two seasons together.
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With Lillard expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season after tearing his Achilles in the first round of the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers , the Bucks waived the nine-time All-Star earlier this month and stretched the remaining $113 million owed on his contract.
With Portland's deal, Lillard will now be paid $70 million by both the Bucks and Blazers for the upcoming year.
"Lillard now will have a 2025-26 set salary of $70M between his Portland and Milwaukee deals, and a salary of $141M over the next two years ahead of an opt-out in 2027," ESPN's Shams Charania reports. "Blazers officials and Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management are finalizing terms this week."
According to Charania, Lillard and the Blazers "both deeply cared about the comeback in recent weeks."
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Portland drafted Lillard sixth overall in the 2012 NBA Draft. Over his 13-year career, the future Hall of Famer has averaged 25.1 points and 6.7 assists per game, while shooting 43.9% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range.
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