Damian Lillard: I'm Not Going Out This Way

[RealGM Wiretap]

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers shared some comments from star guard Damian Lillard ahead of Tuesday's Game 5 in Indiana. Rivers was able to share some insight on how Lillard is thinking in the wake of suffering a torn left Achilles' tendon during Game 4.

"He said two things, which I love," Rivers said. "The first one, he just said 'I can’t believe I’m here.' Then the second one is 'I’m not going out this way.' I can guarantee you he won’t, and that’s what I meant about his resolve."

Lillard is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season while recovering from the torn Achilles'. Average recovery time ranges from 10-12 months, with most NBA players missing a full year to recover and then ramp up to playing again.

Via Michael Marot/The Associated Press

[stlboy]

Get healthy soon Dame…come back towards the end of next season, and retire at the end of the season.

[the_process]

Dame,

Technically you're right? You have two more years on your deal.

But I'd be surprised if you lace them up and get back on a NBA floor again.

[puja21]

Dame,

Technically you're right? You have two more years on your deal.

But I'd be surprised if you lace them up and get back on a NBA floor again.

I would take this bet.

When was the last time any star retired from a torn achilles without playing again?

Only one I can think of is Isiah Thomas more than 30 years ago?

Dominique Wilkins tore his achilles at the same age as Dame but around the all star break rather than playoffs.
Nique came back the very next season (so he missed less than 40 games) and had arguably his best season as a pro.
Finished 2nd to MJ in the scoring title, was top-5 in MVP voting, All NBA of course, and played in 71 games.
Wilkins later had another fantastic all star season at age 34 where he made all NBA finished 4th in scoring.

Kobe sucked after his injury, but he did come back and play another 100 games.

Same for Boogie cousins (bad but played several more years and triple digit games).

John Wall same result.

More recently Durant and Klay both came back to play again after torn Achilles tendons. Durant has been excellent. Klay limited but better than Kobe/Boogie/Wall.

Lillard will 100% be back on an NBA basketball court again IMO.

[beefman]

Dame,

Technically you're right? You have two more years on your deal.

But I'd be surprised if you lace them up and get back on a NBA floor again.

why would you be surprised?

[Barcs]

I'm just glad the Knicks avoided this mess.

[Pickled Prunes]

Dame,

Technically you're right? You have two more years on your deal.

But I'd be surprised if you lace them up and get back on a NBA floor again.

I would take this bet.

When was the last time any star retired from a torn achilles without playing again?

Only one I can think of is Isiah Thomas more than 30 years ago?

Dominique Wilkins tore his achilles at the same age as Dame but around the all star break rather than playoffs.
Nique came back the very next season (so he missed less than 40 games) and had arguably his best season as a pro.
Finished 2nd to MJ in the scoring title, was top-5 in MVP voting, All NBA of course, and played in 71 games.
Wilkins later had another fantastic all star season at age 34 where he made all NBA finished 4th in scoring.

Kobe sucked after his injury, but he did come back and play another 100 games.

Same for Boogie cousins (bad but played several more years and triple digit games).

John Wall same result.

More recently Durant and Klay both came back to play again after torn Achilles tendons. Durant has been excellent. Klay limited but better than Kobe/Boogie/Wall.

Lillard will 100% be back on an NBA basketball court again IMO.

Yes he will! He will be targeting a late season return to try and be ready for the playoffs. (I'm not saying he will make that goal, but I'm sure that's where his head is at.) Worst case scenario; 2026 training camp.

[t-rexCity]

Dame,

Technically you're right? You have two more years on your deal.

But I'd be surprised if you lace them up and get back on a NBA floor again.

I would take this bet.

When was the last time any star retired from a torn achilles without playing again?

Only one I can think of is Isiah Thomas more than 30 years ago?

Dominique Wilkins tore his achilles at the same age as Dame but around the all star break rather than playoffs.
Nique came back the very next season (so he missed less than 40 games) and had arguably his best season as a pro.
Finished 2nd to MJ in the scoring title, was top-5 in MVP voting, All NBA of course, and played in 71 games.
Wilkins later had another fantastic all star season at age 34 where he made all NBA finished 4th in scoring.

Kobe sucked after his injury, but he did come back and play another 100 games.

Same for Boogie cousins (bad but played several more years and triple digit games).

John Wall same result.

More recently Durant and Klay both came back to play again after torn Achilles tendons. Durant has been excellent. Klay limited but better than Kobe/Boogie/Wall.

Lillard will 100% be back on an NBA basketball court again IMO.

Yes he will! He will be targeting a late season return to try and be ready for the playoffs. (I'm not saying he will make that goal, but I'm sure that's where his head is at.) Worst case scenario; 2026 training camp.

Oh god. Why would anyone want him back?

[the_process]

He won't be back next year. So he'll be a 36 year old coming off an Achilles tear who hasn't been on a court in approximately 15 months coming into camp 2026. He will be an expiring contract as well.

I don't see it, but sure, maybe he plays another 50/60 games before retiring.

[Pickled Prunes]

I would take this bet.

When was the last time any star retired from a torn achilles without playing again?

Only one I can think of is Isiah Thomas more than 30 years ago?

Dominique Wilkins tore his achilles at the same age as Dame but around the all star break rather than playoffs.
Nique came back the very next season (so he missed less than 40 games) and had arguably his best season as a pro.
Finished 2nd to MJ in the scoring title, was top-5 in MVP voting, All NBA of course, and played in 71 games.
Wilkins later had another fantastic all star season at age 34 where he made all NBA finished 4th in scoring.

Kobe sucked after his injury, but he did come back and play another 100 games.

Same for Boogie cousins (bad but played several more years and triple digit games).

John Wall same result.

More recently Durant and Klay both came back to play again after torn Achilles tendons. Durant has been excellent. Klay limited but better than Kobe/Boogie/Wall.

Lillard will 100% be back on an NBA basketball court again IMO.

Yes he will! He will be targeting a late season return to try and be ready for the playoffs. (I'm not saying he will make that goal, but I'm sure that's where his head is at.) Worst case scenario; 2026 training camp.

Oh god. Why would anyone want him back?

25/5/7... But I guess they could pay him $113m to stay home, if that's what you think is best for the organization.

[Vegeta10176]

Dame,

Technically you're right? You have two more years on your deal.

But I'd be surprised if you lace them up and get back on a NBA floor again.

Wow that's a pretty big statement saying Dame won't be back on the NBA floor.. I am.sure he will be playing again how good he will be I dunno but I would bet any money he will be playing on the NBA floor again.

[Vegeta10176]

Are we going to talk about how Doc took over the team got worse and were never really in any sort of contention.. Bucks made a mistake in firing Griffin and hiring Doc..

[Pickled Prunes]

Are we going to talk about how Doc took over the team got worse and were never really in any sort of contention.. Bucks made a mistake in firing Griffin and hiring Doc..

True, but I think that was pretty well discussed at the time. Griffin wasn't fired because of the record; he was fired because Dame and Giannis weren't developing the dominant two-man game that we all expected after the trade. At the same time, the defense was crumbling... but I definitely think he deserved more time. Doc was a questionable hire and I don't think he ever solved those issues.

But none of that really matters. I said this at the time of the trade and I'll say it again: Dame can't handle a double team and he can't play off ball. Teams can take the ball out of his hands, and when they do he becomes Buddy Hield. It doesn't matter how good your best player is if Buddy Hield is your 2nd best player. No coach could have solved this roster, and they certainly couldn't have solved Giannis being out last playoffs or Dame having a blood clot going into the playoffs and a torn achilles taking him out. Not a Doc fan, but this wasn't his fault.

[t-rexCity]

Yes he will! He will be targeting a late season return to try and be ready for the playoffs. (I'm not saying he will make that goal, but I'm sure that's where his head is at.) Worst case scenario; 2026 training camp.

Oh god. Why would anyone want him back?

25/5/7... But I guess they could pay him $113m to stay home, if that's what you think is best for the organization.

What good are those numbers? He's a one dimension player. He can only score. It's proven at this point

[Pickled Prunes]

Oh god. Why would anyone want him back?

25/5/7... But I guess they could pay him $113m to stay home, if that's what you think is best for the organization.

What good are those numbers? He's a one dimension player. He can only score. It's proven at this point

The league is loaded with one-way players. If your argument was that Lillard is overpaid, I'd be right there with you. But if your arguing that MIL is better paying him to stay home, you might be nuts! MIL is already committed to paying him. They are either paying him to drop bars or they are paying him to drop 25/5/7. They need him to come back ASAP.

[t-rexCity]

25/5/7... But I guess they could pay him $113m to stay home, if that's what you think is best for the organization.

What good are those numbers? He's a one dimension player. He can only score. It's proven at this point

The league is loaded with one-way players. If your argument was that Lillard is overpaid, I'd be right there with you. But if your arguing that MIL is better paying him to stay home, you might be nuts! MIL is already committed to paying him. They are either paying him to drop bars or they are paying him to drop 25/5/7. They need him to come back ASAP.

Asap? He's done for a full season and even if he does come back early they need to get rid of him ASAP. they can claim that insurance anyway if he's gone full season. Bucks need to find a new way to add complimentary players around Giannis. They won once before and they can do it again. Dame was a bad move.

[Pickled Prunes]

What good are those numbers? He's a one dimension player. He can only score. It's proven at this point

The league is loaded with one-way players. If your argument was that Lillard is overpaid, I'd be right there with you. But if your arguing that MIL is better paying him to stay home, you might be nuts! MIL is already committed to paying him. They are either paying him to drop bars or they are paying him to drop 25/5/7. They need him to come back ASAP.

Asap? He's done for a full season and even if he does come back early they need to get rid of him ASAP. they can claim that insurance anyway if he's gone full season. Bucks need to find a new way to add complimentary players around Giannis. They won once before and they can do it again. Dame was a bad move.

1) If 13 months from now is the soonest Dame can come back then THAT would be ASAP (as soon as possible).

2) How does the owner's potential insurance claim help the roster? They can apply for a Disabled Player Exception, which would give them about $27m to sign a player to a 1-year deal or trade for a player in the last year of their deal. But it would not give MIL cap relief and it would add to their tax bill. And of course, MIL won't be applying for a DPE if there is a chance Lillard is back before the end of next season. (They have until JAN 15th to apply and they will know by then.)

3) Explain this "new way" to add players around Giannis. Draft, trade or free agent signing, that's all we've got, right? DAL traded Luka because they were nearly out of draft capital, had little left to trade and FA's don't go to DAL... MIL is in a worse situation on all accounts.

4) Yes, the Dame trade was a bad move, but it was just one of many! The Middleton contract? Giving Lopez $48m, and then not trading him when they had the chance. Should we talk about Kuzma? Yes, the Dame trade was bad, but it isn't Dame's fault; he is what he's always been. It might be more productive to blame the people actually responsible.

The Bottom Line: If you want to trade Dame and get something back for him, you need him to return and show that he can still give you something close to 25/5/7... and ASAP.