Damian Lillard turned 36 on July 15, marking another milestone in a lengthy recovery from a torn left Achilles tendon that has kept the Portland Trail Blazers guard off the court for more than a year, with the team and player both continuing to target a full return when the 2026-27 NBA season opens this fall.

Lillard suffered the injury in Game 4 of Milwaukee's first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers on April 27, 2025, a non-contact injury that effectively ended the Bucks' postseason run and, ultimately, Lillard's tenure in Milwaukee. He underwent surgery days later, on May 2, 2025.

Where his recovery stands now

With training camp and preseason action approaching in the fall, all indications from the Blazers organization point toward Lillard being on track for his long-awaited return when the 2026-27 season tips off in October, closing out what has been a deliberate, more than yearlong rehabilitation process built around ensuring the nine-time All-Star returns to the court at or near his previous form.

The Blazers waived Lillard using a stretch provision shortly after his injury, a move that allowed him to return home to the franchise that originally drafted him in 2012. Portland signed him to a three-year, $42 million contract that includes a player option for the 2027-28 season and a no-trade clause, fully aware at the time that he would miss the entire 2025-26 campaign to focus exclusively on his........

© International Business Times