Damian Lillard returns to the Trail Blazers on a 3-year deal worth $42 million, AP source says

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Damian Lillard is back where he started.

Lillard signed a three-year deal worth $42 million to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been officially announced.

ESPN first reported the deal.

Lillard, 35, was the sixth pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Trail Blazers and spent 11 seasons with Portland before he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks just before the 2023-24 season.

However, it might not be Lillard Time in Portland just yet for the player known for pointing at his wrist after sinking key shots.

Lillard tore his left Achilles tendon during a first-round NBA playoff series against the Indiana Pacers and required surgery, meaning he could miss the entire 2025-26 season. The Bucks had waived him earlier this month and stretched the remaining $113 million on his contract over five years.

Lillard ranked 10th in the league in scoring (24.9) and assists (7.1) this season while earning his ninth All-Star Game selection. But he played only 58 games because of deep vein thrombosis.

Lillard confirmed the deal, posting a video to his Instagram of the Trail Blazers' locker room, ending with a frame of a locker labeled with his name, followed by the words “Together Again."

He wrote ”RipCityyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!"

Lillard averaged 32.2 points his final season in Portland. He became just the seventh player in NBA history to score more than 70 points in a game when he finished with 71 against the Houston Rockets that season.

But Portland won only four playoff series during Lillard’s tenure, getting to the Western Conference finals once.

Lillard was beloved in Portland and always insisted there are no hard feelings over his separation with the Blazers. He wanted to try and chase a championship with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, while Portland was focused on developing young talent, like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.

Lillard, who has a signature shoe deal with Adidas, hinted during an event at the company's North American headquarters in 2024 that some day he might be willing to return to the Trail Blazers.

Lillard holds Portland records for points (19,376) and 3-pointers (2,387). He's the only Trail Blazers player to score 70 or more points in a game. He had five games of 60 or more points with Portland.

For his career, Lillard averaged 25.1 points and 6.7 assists. He was the 2013 Rookie of the Year and was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary team in 2021. He won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

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FILE - Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) celebrates after a shot against the Orlando Magic during the second half of an NBA basketball game, March 5, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski, File)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)