In the modern era, no player has freedom of movement, and Damian Lillard chose his next landing site.
Lillard was recently stretched and abandoned by the Milwaukee Bucks, with financial security from his previous contract. So he can focus first on basketball and lifestyle fit, rather than being limited by the team’s affordable salary cap.
Some teams may still be a little wary of Lillard’s 35-year-old Achilles’ ability after the breakdown. Still, the roughly low cost makes him a person worthy of the right role.
Lillard may take the time to decide, as he is likely to miss the entire 2025-26 season. As the roster can change today’s salary cap rules, he must figure out the fit of 2026-27.
He may have a trivial chance in the 2026 playoffs, but why get back to a year-round recovery in an environment full of the highest bets?
Although the Golden State Warriors are emotionally meaningful (Lillard comes from the Bay Area), defensive concerns in the backcourt of Stephen Curry-Lillard will be serious. Both players also like to get the ball in their hands. The Los Angeles Lakers already have a dominant golfer in Luka Doncic, who raised his own defensive questions.
Lillard will have to swallow his pride from the bench, the Oklahoma City Thunder or the New York Knicks.
With that in mind, these are his five best landing sites.
Boston Celtics
Lillard takes a year, the Celtics take a year off, and the Achilles of Jayson Tatum’s own breakdown. If Lillard returns to a team with Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White in 2026-27, the Celtics could return to the battle form.
Lillard will surely effectively replace Jrue’s holiday in Boston like he used to be in Milwaukee. Apart from the situation, it would be a game in heaven for a team that loves shooting three games to get the best offensive talent in the game.
Defensively, White, Brown and Tatum will alleviate many of the defensive problems that Lillard has brought. There is a good chance that he will only further hinder the damage after the defense, and the trio’s excellence is that he hopes to find the same great ones that help him.
For Boston, it would be effortless for anyone who may still be an All-Star Caliber player from now on at an annual discount. It will also be easier to fill out the rest of the roster behind those four players and Payton Pritchard.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves are currently trying to make the most of the aging Mike Conley Jr. after Nickeil Alexander-Walker leaves, and the team will also be forced to rely more on Donte Divincenzo.
Minnesota’s cap has been in the Western Conference Finals in recent seasons. One who can help it overcome the hump well would be Lillard. Besides Anthony Edwards, the Wolf lacks the creativity of perimeter shooting, which is the ticking sound of the largest box Lillard. His three-point shooting percentage will also allow Edwards to focus more on attacking shelves.
Like Boston, Minnesota is perfect for defending Lillard with the likes of Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. The biggest question mark here is whether Lillard really wants to join the wolf.
He comes from the Bay Area, and Milwaukee is not one of his preferred destinations when he asked for trade two years ago. Anyway, he is professional enough to do his best after trading there. Now, he has his own choice, which may be the biggest obstacle for the wolf.
However, the fit on the court is undeniable.
Houston Rockets
What better than getting the game one of the best scorers you see in Kevin Durant? How about Damian Lillard’s second one. Durant has addressed some of the major offensive issues against the Rockets, but Lillard will show them the opportunity to be elite on the floor.
One thing that must be solved is the existence of Fred Vanvleet. Lillard and vanvleet’s backcourt are too small, even if Vanvleet has the same power as a shooting guard. Given that the more team-friendly contract Vanvleet has begun now, maybe there is a way to swap him for a more coherent attitude.
There is currently a lack of natural shooting guards after Houston trades Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. While some work is required to make the roster fit, Lillard is the kind of room that can be created based on the Rockets’ 2025-26.
Miami Hot
Lillard has always been associated with heat in the past, so they make a list. It’s a franchise known for its big swing, and the lack of financial barriers makes it a great opportunity for the Heat.
But is this a great opportunity for Lillard? After Jimmy Butler left, Miami was looking for the right talent mix and it looks far from becoming a champion contender. At this stage of his career, one must believe that this is crucial to Lillard.
Are Bam Adebayo, Kel’el Ware and Andrew Wiggins enough to isolate Lillard and Tyler Herro’s underdefense? If Lillard intends to commit to the heat, one would imagine he prefers to have a clear picture of how Miami looks in 2026.
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons have a real star in Cade Cunningham. Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson are great foundations. Have solid roles with depth to participants. If Detroit wants to elevate its identity to a potential contender in 2026-27, Lillard is perfect for it.
Lillard could ease some of Cunningham’s reliance on some ball handling. He could shoot these three people, or even more than Malik Beasley. The Detroit defense was great in the second half of the season, especially in the first round against the New York Knicks.
This is far from a sexy position from Lillard, but if things continue to be popular in the right way Detroit will be well worth considering.
