What Role Will Damian Lillard Play for Blazers Once He Returns From Injury?

Damian Lillard is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season as he rehabs from a torn left Achilles, but his return to the Trail Blazers is already sparking conversations about what kind of player he’ll be when he steps back on the floor.

Lillard will be 36 by the time he suits up again in 2026-27, and one Eastern Conference executive believes a shift in role may be on the horizon.

“He may need to play a role like Mike Conley,” the exec told ESPN. “Let someone else bring the ball up and then be a secondary creator and vet on the floor. It’s a tough thing to get over mentally.”

Lillard suffered the injury on April 27 in the playoffs. He was waived and stretched by the Bucks on July 6, then signed a three-year, $42 million deal with Portland just under two weeks later.

The move brought Lillard back to the franchise where it all began, and closer to his kids while he recovers.

Portland drafted Lillard with the No. 6 overall pick in 2012. He holds 17 franchise records and remains one of the greatest players in team history.

And even with the injury, his final year in Milwaukee showed he still had plenty left. Lillard started 58 games for the Bucks and averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists on 44.8 percent shooting. He also hit nearly 38 percent from deep and over 92 percent at the line.

The Bucks were on the hook for $113 million over the next two seasons before waiving him. That money is now stretched over five years.

A member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, Lillard has racked up nine All-Star nods, seven All-NBA selections, a Rookie of the Year award and sits fourth all-time in made threes. For his career, he’s averaging 25.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists between his time in Portland and Milwaukee.

His agent, Aaron Goodwin, continues to bet on him.

“It’s Dame. I know Dame,” Goodwin said. “I know the desire. I know the fight. I know how hard he works. And I didn’t see this as anything that was going to shut down his career. It’s going to be something that maybe even prolongs his career — because he goes so hard that he’s got to give his body a break.”