The Damian Lillard free agency saga was short, full of uncertainties, and ended in similarly shocking fashion as it started.
After being waived by the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this offseason, Lillard became an unrestricted free agent. Lillard will be spending next season recovering from a torn achilles, making some teams hesitant to pull the trigger.
Alas, Lillard signed with the Portland Trail Blazers on a three-year, $42 million deal. Lillard spent the first 11 seasons of his career with Portland, averaging 25.2 points per game over that span and making seven All-Star games.
The shocking move has created a ton of buzz in NBA circles. ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins — who played in the NBA for 14 seasons — detailed on First Take his reaction to the signing.
“I was surprised, but I am happy,” Perkins said. “It's been a dark cloud, it's been raining in Portland since Damian left and now the sun is shining. It's not about championships, it's about bringing one of the, if not the greatest, players to play in that organization back home.”
Perkins also mentioned how this move shows that Lillard never wanted to leave Portland in the first place, and now he’s returning to a place he considers home.
“Physically, he left, but mentally, he was never gone, his heart was always in Portland,” Perkins said. “His family lives in Portland, his kids are in Portland and most importantly, this is who Dame is. Dame is not one who runs and ring chase. We all know he didn't want to leave Portland.”