Damian Lillard limits minutes as he returns to Portland

The health factor

Damian Lillard does not plan to play 35, 36, or 37 minutes during the regular season. He is 36 years old and returns to the Portland Trail Blazers for the 2026-27 season after Milwaukee waived him this offseason to clear cap space for Myles Turner. Lillard sat out the 2025 season to recover from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered during the 2025 NBA Playoffs while playing for the Bucks. He went down with a non-contact injury in Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers when he grabbed at his left calf after a quick direction change. Before that, he struggled with a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf that required medication. These medications put him at a risk for increased bleeding following any direct impact or laceration. Lillard, who averaged 36.2 minutes per game during his 14-year career, admitted that playing 35 or more minutes each regular season game isn’t needed anymore because of the depth at the guard position. He is returning to a team that has been dreadful from deep without him for three seasons. I find his decision to manage his workload sensible given his age and recent health struggles.

Contract and movement

Lillard signed a two-year contract extension worth $121,774,039 on July 9. This deal begins in 2025-26 and includes a player option for the 2026-27 season. The contract also stipulates that the guard cannot be traded until July 9, 2023. His return to Portland follows his time with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he played alongside Giannis Antetoktonmpo. The Bucks acquired him in 2023 in a three-team deal that sent Jrue Holiday to Portland, Deandre Ayton to Portland, and Jusuf Nurkic to the Suns. Lillard was 33 years old at the time of that trade. He is on pace to retire as one of the biggest all-time earners in American sports with estimated career earnings of $449,910,157 through 2026-27. He will make $63,228,828 in the 2026-27 season. Earlier in his career, he became just the seventh player in NBA history to score more than 70 points in a game, hitting 71 against the Houston Rockets.

The scoring load

The Blazers possess significant guard depth including Ja Morant, Denny Avdija, Scoot Henderson, and Jrue Holiday. Shaedon Sharpe remains out with a meniscus tear until at least February. Lillard expects to utilize his catch-and-shoot skills which reached a 61.5 percent efficiency in the 2024-25 season. He also shot 41.5 percent from three on 205 attempts during that period. In two seasons with Milwaukee, Lillard shot 36.4 percent from deep, including 37.6 percent in the 2024-25 season. His usage rate with Milwaukee was 28.4 percent, which was his lowest since his third year in the league. Lillard averaged 24.3 points on 42/35/92 shooting splits during his time in Milwaukee, alongside 7.0 assists to 2.6 turnovers. He also appeared in 73 games, which was his highest total since 2018-19. He remains a top-tier threat despite no longer being the primary option. He will face the challenge of adapting to a role where he may serve as a third option behind players like Avdija and Morant. I think his experience with the ball screen game will help him adjust to the Blazers’ offense. You already know that Lillard is an elite shooter, but will his scoring remain elite as he transitions to a third option role?