Damian Lillard may not play at all next season as he recovers from a torn Achilles, but there are reportedly plenty of teams that are anxious to sign the star point guard.
The Milwaukee Bucks have waived Lillard and will stretch the remaining $113 million on his contract over the next five seasons. That has placed Lillard in a position to be able to sign a team-friendly deal with a contender, and teams have wasted no time expressing interest.
According to a story that was published on Wednesday by Eric Nehm, Sam Amick and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Lillard has already received calls from several teams. The Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are said to be among the teams “that would have interest in doing a deal sooner rather than later” with Lillard.
Lillard is reportedly thrilled that the Bucks waived him. There will be a salary offset for any team that signs him either next season or in 2026-27. That means the Bucks would only owe the difference between their original salary to Lillard and whatever his next team were to pay him. However, there is a good chance Lillard will simply sign with a contender for the veteran minimum, that way his next team will be in as strong of a position as possible.
Lillard suffered a torn Achilles during the opening round of the playoff and has a long road to recovery. If doctors do not believe he will be able to play next season, Lillard may decide to rehab on his own before committing to a new team.
Lillard will turn 35 later this month. He played at a high level when healthy this season with 25.1 points, 6.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, though he was limited to just 58 games.
If teams like the Warriors, Celtics and Lakers believe Lillard might be able to contribute late next season or in the playoffs, they will likely feel even more of a sense of urgency to add him to the mix.
