The idea of Damien Lillard returning to the West Coast has gained momentum following his exit from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Damien Lillard’s 2025 NBA postseason run was shortened as the Milwaukee Bucks star tore his Achilles heel in the first round.
While Dame recovers from a horrifying injury, he makes headlines after the Bucks shockingly abandoned him and made room for him to sign Miles Turner in a four-year, $107 million deal.
With Lillard currently an unlimited free agent, there is chatter around his next destination, and the Golden State Warriors have floated as a potential destination for the 34-year-old.
It’s rare to see Lillard’s caliber players being abandoned before the regular season. After all, the Bucks have to pay Lillard $113 million despite spreading over five seasons.
Putting that aside, you might wonder what’s next for the 9x NBA All-Star. Well, Patrick Beverly believes he will see fans return to the West Coast following a two-year stint with the Bucks.
| Damien Lillard Statistics | 2023-24 season | 2024-25 Season |
| point | 24.3 ppg | 24.9 ppg |
| rebound | 4.4 RPG | 4.7 RPG |
| assist | 7.0 APG | 7.1 APG |
“I’m sure he wants to stay on the West Coast. I don’t know how it looks. He’s hurting too. I don’t even know how this works. I’ve never seen anything like it. He can go anywhere.”
Beverly isn’t sure about Lillard’s future, but his co-host Adam Ferrone (Rone) is watching the veteran security guard return to his hometown of Auckland.
“We could see him go home. I think it will raise some issues defensively, but that will be an interesting lineup for him. He and Steph (curry),” Rone proposed on the podcast.
“It was basically what he was modeling his career after filming the game with the (Portland Trail) Blazers. I think it’s fun and interesting,” he added.
Joining forces with others like Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler would be an interesting move for Lillard as Beverly is on the idea.
“It will be good, it is not a bad place.
Following the second exit in the NBA playoffs in 2025, the Warriors are undoubtedly expected to improve their roster ahead of the new season.
One way to do that is to form a backcourt duo of Curry and Lillard. In fact, veteran NBA insider Mark Spears has heard that Dub is already in touch with Dame.
“Spears also reports that the Warriors are in touch with Dome. Spears adds that Lillard will take time, but they may play near where they grew up in the Bay Area,” revealed ESPN’s Ohm Young Misque.
Once again, don’t forget that Lillard is likely to miss most of next season due to his torn Achilles injury.
But once he returns, playing for the Warriors would certainly give him a better shot, winning the first NBA championship of his career.