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12-Year NBA Veteran Reacts to Damian Lillard’s Big Move

Damian Lillard is going back to the Blazers, sparking a reaction from a former Sixers guard.
Justin Grasso|
Oct 8, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley (21) defends Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Oct 8, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley (21) defends Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) in the first half of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia 76ersPortland Trail Blazers

Just like that, Damian Lillard is headed back to the Portland Trail Blazers. Suddenly, the Philadelphia 76ers will only face the star guard twice a year once again.

Shortly after it was revealed that Lillard was going back to Portland, the former Sixers guard Patrick Beverley took to social media to react to the news.

via @patbev21: Dame to Portland he not wrong. said F that ring chasing. i’m going back where the LOVE ❤️ IS. That’s really what hoopers want peace of mind and good HOOPS🏀. That’s 🔥

Damian Lillard spent most of his career playing for the Blazers. When he was 22 years old, Lillard was a full-time starter as a rookie in Portland and became the face of the franchise by winning the league’s Rookie of the Year title.

For 11 years, Lillard averaged 25 points per game while knocking down 37 percent of his threes. He also dished out seven assists per game, along with grabbing four rebounds.

Ahead of the 2023-2024 season, Lillard expressed doubt in Portland’s ability to build a championship contender around him. When the Blazers were going into a rebuild, they facilitated a trade to send Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he teamed up with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Lillard played in 131 games with the Bucks over two seasons. During Milwaukee’s most recent playoff run, Lillard suffered an Achilles injury. He’s expected to miss the entire 2025-2026 NBA season. The Bucks shockingly waived Lillard, which left him free to return home to Portland.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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