One of the most unexpected — and most coveted — free agents on the market is Damian Lillard.
The former Buck was stunningly waived on Tuesday, and his Milwaukee exit sent ripples throughout the NBA, with teams like the Heat — where he wanted to be traded in 2023 — along with the Lakers, Warriors and Celtics, among others, emerging as potential suitors, The Athletic reported.
On the Milwaukee side, the waiving cleared cap space for the Bucks to land Myles Turner on a four-year, $107 million contract, poaching him from the rival Pacers, who pushed the Thunder to Game 7 in the NBA Finals.
Lillard’s season was strong until it ended abruptly in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against Indiana when he suffered a torn Achilles.
He averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds over 58 regular season games.
Lillard spent 11 seasons as the face of the Trail Blazers before requesting a trade in the summer of 2023, which became the talk of the NBA.
That move sent him to Milwaukee in exchange for a package including, most notably, Jrue Holiday — who landed with the Celtics — and DeAndre Ayton, aiming to pair Lillard with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The duo never won a playoff series in Milwaukee, with injuries impacting each season.
While Lillard’s torn Achilles could sideline him for all of 2025‑26, he could sign a multi-year deal with a team and rehab this season while suiting up in 2026-27.
One of the best guards of his era, Lillard turns 35 on July 15 and is a nine-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA honoree in his esteemed career in the league.