News Blazers Team Notes

[Portland Trail Blazers]

Damian Lillard Gets Honest About Coming Back To Portland

(Photo by Amanda Loman/Getty Images)

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers has found his happiness again.

During his years with the Bucks, Lillard was open about the fact that the move from Portland to Milwaukee was hard on him and his family.

But since signing with the Blazers and moving back to Oregon, things have been much better, telling The Sideline with Andy Katz that the entire experience has been a “blessing.”

“It’s been great. I’m not an overly expressive person, but I think in my adulthood — coming back here at this time, with the age of my kids, with where the team is — it just feels right. The team has developed and grown over the last couple of years. Being back where I spent the first 11 years of my career — this is one of the times in my life where I feel extremely happy. Every day, I wake up and I’m thankful. I’m waking up seeing my kids, taking them to school. I can just drive down to my mom’s house. It’s a blessing, man. I couldn’t be happier,” Lillard said.

Damian Lillard says he’s found his joy again in Portland

“It’s been great. I’m not an overly expressive person, but I think in my adulthood — coming back here at this time, with the age of my kids, with where the team is — it just feels right. The team has developed and grown… pic.twitter.com/O6w6Quankf

— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) September 18, 2025

Lillard spent 11 seasons with the Blazers but he was ready to say goodbye a few years ago.

He wanted to compete with a team that could actually win a title and was tired of Portland consistently coming up short.

His loyalty had been pushed too far and it was time for him to move on.

Although he wanted to head to the Miami Heat, he ended up with the Milwaukee Bucks and people envisioned the team storming to the top of the Eastern Conference.

That didn’t happen and it soon became apparent that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Lillard wasn’t happy in Milwaukee; he missed his family, and the team wasn’t competing like it was supposed to.

When he was waived by the team at the start of the summer, he was hurt but also prepared to put himself in a better situation.

Now he’s back with the Blazers and his happiness feels vibrant, real, and a long time coming.

The post Damian Lillard Gets Honest About Coming Back To Portland appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/damian-lillard-gets-honest-about-coming-back-to-portland/

 

[Portland Trail Blazers]

Damian Lillard Reflects On Early Championship Aspirations With Portland

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Damian Lillard’s history with the Portland Trail Blazers is long and complicated.

It’ll soon grow because he will be back with the team for the first time in a few years and is ready to get to work.

Speaking about his previous run with the Blazers, Lillard opened up about their potential and what they fell short of.

He thinks they could have been champions, but were held back for a number of reasons.

“I felt like, in the next one or two years, we would have won it,” said Lillard. “We were one of the best teams in my second year, just inexperienced. We were one of the best teams for a long time. In my third year, we just had a lot of injuries, like major injuries. I feel like that fourth year would have been a good year.”

The Blazers had a slew of stars during Lillard’s second season.

He was doing great work with his average of 20.7 points and 5.6 assists, but LaMarcus Aldridge was dominant, Nicolas Batum was helping out a lot, and others like Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez, Mo Williams, and more were all chipping in.

Plus, Lillard was building a strong partnership with CJ McCollum, who would remain his friend and close teammate for years.

The Blazers were one of those teams that made others in the Western Conference nervous, but not nervous enough.

Because of injuries and a tough conference, they were never able to deliver on all of their promise, and they failed to reach their goals.

Eventually, it just became too much for Lillard, and he wanted to play for a team that could compete for a title.

But moving to the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t work out for Lillard, and he is now returning, older, happier, and ready to continue building a legacy in Portland.

The post Damian Lillard Reflects On Early Championship Aspirations With Portland appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/damian-lillard-reflects-on-early-championship-aspirations-with-portland/

 

[Portland Trail Blazers]

Trail Blazers Get Concerning Injury Update On Scoot Henderson

(Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

The Portland Trail Blazers are hoping to be one of the scrappiest, most exciting teams in the Western Conference.

To make that happen, they will need Scoot Henderson to perform at 100 percent.

Sadly, he is already hurt before the new season kicks off.

Chris Haynes is reporting that Henderson suffered a left hamstring tear during an off-season workout and is now expected to be sidelined for four to eight weeks.

That means that he could miss at least a month of action in 2025-26.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson suffered a left hamstring tear during an off-season workout and is expected to be sidelined 4-8 weeks.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 26, 2025

Henderson is just 21 years old and one of the most important parts of the Blazers’ lineup.

The upcoming season is going to be a big one for the Blazers.

They have added promising talent to the roster, including Damian Lillard, who is returning to Portland as a franchise hero.

But Lillard is also recovering from his own injury, so it’s not clear how much he’ll play.

Since being selected as the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, Henderson has become a focal point of the Blazers’ plans.

He has averaged 13.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists during his first two seasons in the league.

Most people don’t envision the Blazers becoming championship contenders this year, but with their youth, energy, and Lillard on board, there is a chance of them making a lot of noise in the West.

But one thing that could get in their way is injuries.

If Henderson’s problem doesn’t heal quickly, or if other players join the injury list, the outlook in Portland could dim.

Fans wanted excitement and optimism about the future, but Henderson’s injury could get in the way of that, at least for the beginning of the season.

The post Trail Blazers Get Concerning Injury Update On Scoot Henderson appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/trail-blazers-get-concerning-injury-update-on-scoot-henderson/

 

[Portland Trail Blazers]

Damian Lillard Gets Honest About Playing This Season

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Damian Lillard is now back with the Portland Trail Blazers, but fans won’t see him play in 2025-26.

At the team’s media day, Lillard made it official: he is sitting on the sidelines for all of next season.

He confirmed that he won’t be playing because of his Achilles injury, but he will be back and has full faith in his team until then.

“I don’t plan on it. I feel like if this team is a 1 seed [without me], they probably got it. I’m trying to be as healthy as possible,” Lillard said.

Damian Lillard doesn’t plan on playing this season

"I don't plan on it. I feel like if this team is a 1 seed [without me], they probably got it. I'm trying to be as healthy as possible."

(Via @highkin ) pic.twitter.com/lXSf3jgcyI

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 29, 2025

The Blazers are still elated to see Lillard back, but they are surely disappointed that he won’t be playing in the new season.

This isn’t that surprising, because it was clear that Lillard suffered an Achilles tear last season when he went down while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.

That marked the last time he’d play for Milwaukee, the team that traded for him just a few seasons ago.

When he left Portland, there were a lot of negative feelings about his departure.

But even though he was gone, fans of the Blazers still loved Lillard, and he held a special place in the team’s history.

When things didn’t pan out with the Bucks and he was waived, there was a ton of speculation about where he would land, especially because he had just suffered his injury.

In the end, Portland was glad to welcome him back, even though they knew his future was uncertain as he healed.

Now he is confirming that he won’t be playing in 2025-26, but he has every desire to be back as soon as possible.

The post Damian Lillard Gets Honest About Playing This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/damian-lillard-gets-honest-about-playing-this-season/