We’re putting a lot of faith in Damian Lillard’s rehab process here, as the future Hall-of-Famer hasn’t played since April 27, 2025, when he tore his Achilles in Game 4 of the Milwaukee Bucks’ first-round playoff matchup against the Indiana Pacers. By all accounts, Lillard’s rehab has gone well, however, so after shaking off some rust, we expect to see Lillard playing at a high level again sooner rather than later.
Will Lillard ever reach that All-NBA level again? Or even All-Star level? That remains to be seen, and history tells us it won’t be easy, as Lillard is now 36 years old. The previous oldest player to tear his Achilles, miss an entire season and then make another All-Star appearance after recovering from the injury was Anthony Mason, who was 32 at the time of his injury and 34 when he made another All-Star appearance. For comparison’s sake, Lillard was 34 when he blew out his Achilles.
… That’s all to say: It’s difficult to predict the level Lillard will play at once he does return.
Either way, as fans of the game, we’re excited to see his return, as Lillard will be playing on a strong Portland team, alongside another thrilling floor general in Morant, making the 2026-27 Blazers potential League Pass darlings.