Damian Lillard says he skipped a postseason return to “check every box” and “should have never left” Portland

Damian Lillard plays Wednesday in his first regular season game since March 18, 2025. He admits he thought about trying to return from his Achilles tear during the 2026 postseason, Marc Spears reports, but decided another offseason made more sense.

“The reason I sat out the entire season was because I wanted to check every box,” Lillard said. “I didn’t want to come limping back or having second thoughts about, ‘Man, can I do this? Can I do that? What should I stay away from?’ I checked every box and I cleared every box, so that was my priority in that process, and I did exactly that.”

New coach Micah Nori says it worked. “There’s really no loss of his – I’m not going to say explosiveness, but his quickness,” Nori said. “He hurt his lower body, not his upper body. He can still shoot the thing, so his game is not reliant on all that quickness.” Nori added that Lillard will be off the ball a little more than earlier in his career, though Portland can still use him in the pick-and-roll.

Lillard also spoke about his return to Portland, where he asked for a change of scenery in 2023. Jason Quick quotes him saying he “should have never left.” “I never saw (being traded elsewhere as) being part of my story,” Lillard said. “The fact that it worked out how it did – I’m back here, with a really good team, and I’m healthy – it just feels right.” Former Blazers lottery pick Meyers Leonard, drafted five spots after Lillard in 2012, will be in Portland on Wednesday to see him play.