Damian Lillard will not suit up for the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2025–26 season. However, he is already thinking about the next one. He is confident that the Blazers have a team that can achieve great things. In a recent interview, he made a claim nobody expected from a 34-year-old. Speaking about his expectations, he mentioned that this year’s roster is the one he has been waiting for his entire career.
Dame’s Big Promise Just Set Expectations Sky-High in Portland
Many would say that Dame has every reason to stay quiet, humble, and manage expectations. But in an interesting twist, he went in the opposite direction. Speaking in an interview, he said,
“I still think I have better moments ahead. Everything is happening in a weird way. What are the chances that I tear my Achilles and I get waived with two years left … and the first team I think of, and the first team that contacted me, is the Blazers? And me being back here … you know, I had to go away for this team to be assembled. And now it’s a team that I would have wanted to play on for years. So now I have a year to connect with this team while building my body up to get ready to go.”
Damian Lillard says the Blazers’ current roster is the one he’s been waiting for, and he promises to deliver moments even better than those from his prime years
“I still think I have better moments ahead. Everything is happening in a weird way. What are the chances that I… pic.twitter.com/tC3o0unMuE
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 21, 2025
This year’s Blazers lost their head coach after just one game, but they managed to stabilize. After going 6–5 in their first 11 games, they lost four straight and are now in the play-in position. But the good news is they have a couple of promising players. First and foremost, Deni Avdija looks like an All-Star player. Shaedon Sharpe is averaging 20+ points despite shooting less than 30% from the three-point line. And then you add Swiss Army knife Toumani Camara, and the Blazers have a promising core. Add in Lillard, and they can make some noise.
Who Should Be Here Next Season When Damian Lillard Returns For The Blazers?
The Portland Trail Blazers have two questions they need to address by the end of the season. Can they find someone to trade Jerami Grant to and get some assets? And what will they do with Robert Williams? His contract expires at the end of the season, and they will probably not re-sign him. But can they flip him at the deadline for at least a second-round pick?
The core of the team going forward looks promising with Avdija, Camara, Sharpe, Scoot Henderson finding his groove, and Jrue Holiday still playing at a high level. Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen should develop into centers for the future. They will have plenty of cap space this summer and can chase another star to pair with Dame and their young core. They owe their first-round pick to the Bulls, top-14 protected. But if they want to trade future picks for a star, they also owe two valuable swap selections with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2028 and 2030.
Remembering Damian Lillard’s Biggest Moments in a Blazers Uniform
This might be a perfect moment to remember some of the greatest moments of Lillard’s illustrious Blazers career.
The best will always be the shot vs. the Houston Rockets. With less than a second to go in the 2014 playoffs, Lillard curled off a screen, caught the pass, and drilled the game-winning three over Chandler Parsons. It was the Blazers’ first playoff series win in 14 years.
Next, we have the wave goodbye to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019 playoffs. He pulled up from 37 feet and drained a game-winning three over Paul George. That shot sent the Thunder home, and he then stared into the camera, waving goodbye to OKC.
This one came in a loss, but in the 2021 playoffs, he had a 55-point masterpiece against the Denver Nuggets. He forced two overtimes with impossible clutch shots, but eventually, the Blazers lost the game.
In the 2017 regular season, Dame Time struck against the Chicago Bulls. Down five with under 12 seconds left in the game, he hit a quick three, stole the inbound, and then hit the game-winning layup.
Last but not least, we have to mention his 61 points on MLK Day in 2020. He hit 11 threes against the Golden State Warriors. The 61 points were the centerpiece of his historic scoring run, during which he averaged 48.8 points over six games.
Featured Image: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
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