What Are The 5 Best Landing Spots For Damian Lillard?

No player in the modern era has ever had the freedom of movement Damian Lillard has in choosing his next landing spot.

Recently stretched and waived by the Milwaukee Bucks, Lillard has the financial security of his previous contract. With that, he can first focus on basketball and lifestyle fit and not be limited by the salary cap with regard to which teams can afford him.

Some teams will still be a bit wary of what Lillard may be capable of on the back of an Achilles rupture at 35 years old. Still, the presumably low cost makes him someone well worth a shot in the right role.

Lillard will likely take his time in deciding, knowing it’s quite likely he misses the entirety of the 2025-26 season. With how quickly rosters can change courtesy of today’s salary cap rules, he has to figure out what the right fit is for 2026-27.

There’s a slim chance he could feature in the 2026 postseason, but why take a full year recovery to return in an environment filled with the highest of stakes?

As much as the Golden State Warriors make sense emotionally (Lillard is from the Bay Area), the defensive concerns of a Stephen Curry-Lillard backcourt would be grave. Both players like having the ball in their hands, too. The Los Angeles Lakers already have a dominant ball-handler in Luka Doncic who comes with his own defensive concerns.

Lillard would have to swallow his pride coming off the bench for the Oklahoma City Thunder or New York Knicks.

With that in mind, here are his five best landing spots.

Boston Celtics

Lillard needs a year off and the Celtics are taking a year off, saddled by Jayson Tatum’s own Achilles rupture. If Lillard were to return to a team boasting Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White in 2026-27, the Celtics would likely return to contention status.

There would certainly be a level of irony in Lillard effectively replacing Jrue Holiday in Boston the way he once did in Milwaukee. Circumstances aside, acquiring one of the game’s great offensive talents for a team which loves to shoot the three would be a match made in heaven.

Defensively, White, Brown and Tatum would alleviate a lot of the defensive concerns that come with Lillard. He more than likely will only be further hindered defensively post-injury, and that trio is as good as he can hope to find to help him along.

For Boston, obtaining someone who may still be an All-Star-caliber player a year from now at a severe discount would be a no-brainer. With those four players in place and Payton Pritchard behind them, filling out the rest of the roster would be easier as well.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves are currently trying to make the best of an aging Mike Conley Jr. After the departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the team will also be forced to rely more on Donte DiVincenzo.

Minnesota’s ceiling the last couple seasons has been the Western Conference Finals. A man who would be well-equipped to help it get over the hump would be Lillard.  Beyond Anthony Edwards, the Wolves lack perimeter shot creation, which is the biggest box Lillard ticks. His 3-point shooting would also allow Edwards to focus more on attacking the rack.

Like Boston, Minnesota is well-suited to protect Lillard defensively with the likes of Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. The biggest question mark here is if Lillard would actually want to join the Wolves.

He’s from the Bay Area and Milwaukee wasn’t one of his preferred destinations when he requested a trade two years ago. He was professional enough to try and make the best of it after getting traded there anyway. Now, he has his own choice and that may be the biggest obstacle for the Wolves.

The on-court fit, though, is undeniable.

Houston Rockets

What’s better than acquiring one of the best scorers the game has seen in Kevin Durant? How about a second one in Damian Lillard. Durant already solves some major offensive concerns for the Rockets but Lillard would present them with the opportunity to become elite on that end of the floor.

One thing that would have to be addressed is Fred VanVleet’s presence. Lillard and VanVleet would make for too small of a backcourt, even if VanVleet has strength comparable to shooting guards. Considering the more team-friendly contract VanVleet is now on, perhaps there’s a path to trading him for a more coherent fit.

Houston currently lacks a natural shooting guard after trading away Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. While there’d be work to do to make the roster fit, Lillard is the type of player to make room for depending on how 2025-26 turns out for the Rockets.

Miami Heat

Lillard has been connected with the Heat in the past, so it’s only logical they make the list. This is a franchise known for swinging big and the lack of financial obstacles make this a great opportunity for the Heat.

Is it a great opportunity for Lillard, though? Miami is searching for the right mix of talent after the departure of Jimmy Butler and currently looks well short of being a championship contender. At this stage of his career, one has to believe that is of paramount importance to Lillard.

Are Bam Adebayo, Kel’el Ware and Andrew Wiggins enough to insulate both Lillard and Tyler Herro’s defensive inadequacies? If Lillard is going to commit to the Heat, one would imagine he prefers a clearer picture of what Miami will look like in 2026.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons have a real star in Cade Cunningham. Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson are great building blocks. There’s depth with solid role players. If Detroit wants to elevate its status to a potential contender come 2026-27, Lillard presents a great fit.

Lillard can alleviate some of the ball-handling dependence on Cunningham. He can shoot the three as, if not more, proficiently than Malik Beasley. Detroit’s defense was great in the second half of the season, especially against the New York Knicks during the first round.

This is far from a sexy location for Lillard, but if things continue trending the right way in Detroit, the franchise would be well worthy of consideration.