Damian Lillard could return from Achilles injury vs. Spurs

The Portland Trail Blazers are deadlocked in a battle with the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Deni Avdija and Co. will try to take a 2-1 series lead on Friday night when the series shifts to the Pacific Northwest for Games 3 and 4 with Damian Lillard watching from the sidelines.

And while the Blazers have been as healthy as they can be given their injuries, there’s a slim chance that they could somehow get even healthier this postseason.

According to Bill Oram of Oregon Live, the Blazers haven’t entirely ruled out the possibility that Damian Lillard returns at some point during this postseason.

“However implausible it may seem, the franchise has not completely ruled out the possibility that Lillard could make a surprise appearance in the postseason this year, multiple sources said. Obviously, the longer its run lasts, the more realistic such a long-shot scenario becomes.

“I wouldn’t rule anything out,” a source said, “or get too excited about anything.”

A lot of this is also coming out after the Blazers appeared to tease the return of Lillard in a social media post with eye emojis.

pic.twitter.com/1nJpn5QZgQ

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 22, 2026

Damian Lillard has been out since suffering a torn left Achilles tendon during the Milwaukee Bucks’ first round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers. Since then, Lillard had his contract bought out by the Bucks and he signed a multi-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers with the understanding that he likely wouldn’t play at all during the 2025-26 season.

Now that the Blazers have made a strong run into the postseason and have a chance to upset the San Antonio Spurs, it appears Portland won’t entirely rule out the possibility that Lillard returns. But it remains unlikely as the star guard needs to clear several hurdles in order to get back on the floor. Oram reports that Lillard hasn’t started a serious ramp-up to get into game shape, nor has he even resumed playing full-court basketball.

“A source said Lillard is “close” and that his return before the end of the postseason is “not impossible.” Any appearance would need to be in a later round or “deep, deep” in the series against the Spurs. At a minimum, the team is being open-minded about the possibility.”

For his career, Damian Lillard has averaged 25.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.0 steal per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three. He obviously wouldn’t be returning to be that type of player immediately, especially not a team that now features the likes of Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson, and Jrue Holiday, but his addition could certainly get Portland over the top.

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