Damian Lillard is drawing significant interest with the Milwaukee Bucks set to waive him.
The Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Golden State Warriors are among the many teams that would like to make a deal with the veteran guard sooner rather than later, sources told Eric Nehm, Sam Amick, and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Lillard could sign with a team and rehab his torn Achilles under the club's supervision or sit out the 2025-26 season and re-evaluate his future afterward. The 34-year-old suffered the injury during the Bucks' first-round playoff series.
Milwaukee reportedly decided to waive and stretch Lillard on Tuesday. He's apparently "elated" because it allows him to join a contender without putting significant weight on the financial element of his decision. There's almost $113 million left on his contract, so he'll count for about $22.5 million against the Bucks' cap for the next five years - the biggest contract that's ever been stretched.
The Bucks acquired Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers in a blockbuster three-team trade ahead of the 2023-24 season. A nine-time All-Star who entered the league as the sixth overall pick in 2012, he averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists in 58 games for Milwaukee during the 2024-25 season.
