Report: Milwaukee Bucks Waive Damian Lillard Following Achilles Tear
Jul 1, 2025, 9:52 AM | Updated: 10:31 am
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 27: Damian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts from the court after an apparent injury during the first quarter in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Fiserv Forum on April 27, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Damian Lillard experiment is over in Milwaukee after two seasons of disappointment and injury.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that the Bucks are expected to give Lillard his outright release using the ‘stretch provision‘ in the collective bargaining agreement. The former Weber State guard will be owed more than $22 million per year for the next five years.
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Just in: The Milwaukee Bucks are waiving Damian Lillard and stretching the remaining $113 million on his contract in order to acquire Myles Turner, sources tell ESPN. Lillard's two seasons in Milwaukee come to an end as he rehabilitates a torn Achilles tendon. pic.twitter.com/eg1D1TMFM6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025
Lillard is expected to miss most or all of the 2025-26 season after tearing his achilles tendon in Milwaukee’s first-round playoff loss to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers.
The Bucks finished last season as the fifth seed in the East with a 48-34 record.
Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 58 games last season.
He averaged 24.6 points, 4.3 boards, and seven assists with shooting splits of .434/.364/.921 in two seasons with the Bucks.
About Damian Lillard
Before his time as a professional, Lillard was a standout player for the Weber State men’s basketball team. He left Weber State as the program’s second-leading scorer all-time.
Lillard played for the Wildcats from 2008 to 2012.
He scored 1,934 points during his time as a Wildcat. His jersey was retired by the university in 2017.
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The Bucks will owe Damian Lillard over $22M a year for the next five years.
That will count towards their cap space for the next FIVE years.
Madness. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ovPN7b8RHy
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 1, 2025
Portland drafted Lillard with the 6th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. During his first decade in the league, the former Wildcat became a perennial NBA All-Star and one of the best at his position.
In 2022, Lillard was recognized as one of the NBA’s 75 greatest players in history.
Following the 2022-23 campaign, the Blazers traded Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. Before the 2023-24 season, Lillard had played his entire professional career in Portland.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
