On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Bucks’ season came to an end after being eliminated in their tough 119-118 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 5. While the Bucks weren’t having much success in the series, not having Damian Lillard due to injury surely didn’t help avoid being eliminated.
Lillard, who already returned from blood clots in seemingly record time, suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the Bucks’ Game 4 loss to the Pacers. Now, his status for the 2025-26 season is in question.
Which, according to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm and Sam Amick, Lillard’s injury could have a direct impact on the Bucks’ trade plans this summer.
“Had Lillard remained healthy, and had the Bucks still fallen in the first round, league sources say there would have been discussions about whether Lillard wanted to remain in Milwaukee. The relationship between Antetokounmpo and Lillard is strong, as is the respect level, but the imperfections of their on-court pairing remained in their second season together. And with the group’s collective limitations growing more evident by the month, a conversation was looming about whether Lillard and the Bucks might be better off parting ways.”
The Athletic on Damian Lillard/Milwaukee Bucks trade plans
Now, after the injury, Lillard, who’s set to turn 35 in July, will surely have diminished trade value around the league. While the seven-time All-NBA selection is one of the greatest point guards of his era, his skills are beginning to fade, and now there will be more durability questions too.
Lillard is headed into the 2025-26 season set to earn a salary of $54.1 million. When he’s set to turn 36 in the following offseason, Lillard will face a deadline of June 26, 2026 to decide whether he wants to pick up his $58.4 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
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