Damian

Lillard

Lillard ruptured his Achilles tendon during last season’s playoffs, missing the entire 2025-26 campaign as a result. The veteran guard, who turns 36 in July, appears to be on track to return to action next season, as he has resumed playing 5-on-5. Lillard also noted on Thursday that, while nothing was ever said about him possibly playing this season, he did think about the possibility. With Lillard back in the fold, the Trail Blazers should be in a position to take a step forward after earning the No. 7 seed in this year’s playoffs.

Lillard’s score of 29 in the final round was enough to beat Kon Knueppel, who had 17, and Devin Booker, who had 27. The 35-year-old point guard won the three-point contest for the third time in his career, tying Larry Bird and Craig Hodges for most in NBA history. Lillard is out for the season after rupturing his left Achilles during last year’s playoffs.

Holiday, acquired from the Celtics during the offseason, only played 17 minutes in his unofficial Trail Blazers’ debut. The veteran guard did not shoot the ball well, but he was solid otherwise, making plays for others and committing just one turnover on the night. With Scoot Henderson likely to miss the start of the regular season with a torn left hamstring and Damian Lillard out for the season as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles, Holiday will have to take on point guard duties for the foreseeable future. After seeing his fantasy value take a hit in Boston last season, Holiday will be worth the investment in Portland.

Lillard ruptured his left Achilles tendon during the Bucks’ first-round series against the Pacers. Planning on doing his rehab in Portland, the guard agreed to a multi-year deal with the Trail Blazers after Milwaukee bought out his contract. Lillard’s declaration that he doesn’t plan on attempting to play this season is unsurprising, but there had been no official declaration from him or the team. With his comments on Monday, fantasy managers don’t need to consider stashing Lillard with a late-round pick. This will be a critical season for Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, as both will take on significant roles with Lillard sidelined and Anfernee Simons now a member of the Celtics.

The contract includes a player option in 2027. 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, according to Charania. The 35-year-old point guard is heading back to where his career began when the Trail Blazers selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Lillard is unlikely to play much if at all this season as he recovers from Achilles surgery, but looks to finish his career right where he started it. The deal includes a no-trade clause.

The Bucks chose to waive and stretch Lillard, who is likely to miss all of next season as he recovers from an Achilles tear. Milwaukee is able to stretch the $113 million still owed to Lillard over five seasons. This was a necessary move for the team to have the requisite space to sign free agent center Myles Turner. The Bucks had to get creative to give their roster an immediate upgrade. Lillard’s free-agent market will be a bit of a mystery given the fact that he’s unlikely to play much — if at all — this season. It’s possible we’ve seen the last of him as a major fantasy option.

Lillard suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon tear last Sunday during the Bucks’ season-ending Game 4 loss to the Pacers. The 34-year-old point guard remains without a recovery timeline, but the assumption is that he’ll miss a significant portion of next season. His status impacts Milwaukee’s entire rotation and approach to the offseason as the franchise heads into the summer with limited assets to help strengthen their roster.

Damian Lillard’s season-ending Achilles tendon tear meant the Bucks would have to make at least one change to their starting lineup. Porter will fill the void left by the perennial All-Star, with Green and Portis also being moved from the bench to the starting five. They replace Kyle Kuzma and Brook Lopez, as Bucks coach Doc Rivers searches for an answer that will keep his team’s season alive.

Brutal. Lillard’s 2024-25 season is officially over, and there’s a chance he misses all of next season due to the timing of the injury. His contract runs through the 2025-26 season and includes a player option for 2026-27 for $58 million. It’s unclear what Lillard’s extended absence will mean for fantasy owners in 2025-26, as the Bucks will likely address PG depth in the offseason. Ryan Rollins started 19 games for the Bucks in 2024-25 and would be the in-house option. As a starter, Rollins averaged 10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game.

The loss of Damian Lillard during the first half with a potential Achilles tendon injury did not prevent Giannis from getting his numbers, as he recorded another double-double. Unfortunately, the Bucks did not have the horses needed to make a run after halftime. Already shouldering a heavy workload, Antetokounmpo will have even more on his plate moving forward. Game 5 is on Tuesday night, with the Bucks trailing three games to one.