PORTLAND, Ore. — Damian Lillard is back where he started.
Lillard signed a three-year deal worth $42 million to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been officially announced.
ESPN first reported the deal.
Lillard, 35, was the sixth pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Trail Blazers and spent 11 seasons with Portland before he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks just before the 2023-24 season.
However, it might not be Lillard Time in Portland just yet for the player known for pointing at his wrist after sinking key shots.
Lillard tore his left Achilles tendon during a first-round NBA playoff series against the Indiana Pacers and required surgery, meaning he could miss the entire 2025-26 season. The Bucks had waived him earlier this month and stretched the remaining $113 million on his contract over five years.
Lillard ranked 10th in the league in scoring (24.9) and assists (7.1) this season while earning his ninth All-Star Game selection. But he played only 58 games because of deep vein thrombosis.
Lillard confirmed the deal, posting a video to his Instagram of the Trail Blazers' locker room, ending with a frame of a locker labeled with his name, followed by the words ''Together Again."