In something of a surprise move, the Milwaukee Bucks waived Damian Lillard earlier this week. With the 36-year-old likely out for all of next season due to a torn Achilles, the Bucks decided to cut ties early, and Lillard will be looking for a new team to spend the twilight years of his career with.
Which Team Will Damian Lillard Sign With?
Which teams are most likely to make a run at the nine time All-Star? The oddsmakers at BetOnline have released the betting lines, and we take a look at some of the more interesting possibilities on the board:
| Miami Heat | +300 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | +400 |
| Denver Nuggets | +600 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +750 |
| Golden State Warriors | +750 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +900 |
| New York Knicks | +1000 |
Miami Heat +300
Before he was shipped to Milwaukee, there was wide speculation that Lillard was trying to force the Trail Blazers to send him to Miami. At the time, Jimmy Butler was still in the fold for the Heat, who were coming off of an NBA Finals appearance and were looking to add one final piece.
Butler is gone and the Heat are no longer title contenders, but that apparently won’t stop them from pursuing Lillard now that he is a free agent. It remains to be seen what Miami’s roster will look like a year from now when he is recovered from his injury, but the oddsmakers have them as the favorites regardless. They are listed at +300, implied odds of 25%.
Portland Trail Blazers +400
Could Damian Lillard wind up back where he started? The Trail Blazers have been rebuilding since his departure, and haven’t fared well over the last couple of seasons. But they have been retooling the roster this offseason, and there are hopes that a turnaround will be coming soon.
In terms of bringing Lillard back, Portland is second on the odds list at +400, and he would certainly play a different role than he did with the team originally. Depending on how well he is able to recover from his ailment, he would likely be a three-point specialist or maybe even be the first man off of the bench. The implied odds here are 20%.
DEVELOPING: The Warriors have been in touch with Damian Lillard, per @MarcJSpears
(h/t @NotoriousOHM) pic.twitter.com/cWpa1qUP1r
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 2, 2025
Golden State Warriors +750
Heading back to Portland would be a homecoming for Lillard, but playing in the Bay Area would mean actually returning to his home. He grew up in Oakland, Brookfield Village to be exact, about a two-mile drive from the old Oracle Arena.
His hometown Warriors already had their generational shooter in place in Steph Curry during his time in the league, so there was never any real speculation that Damian Lillard would come to play for Golden State. But now that he is a free agent and no longer the superstar that he once was, the door is now open for him to return to the Bay, and the Warriors are fifth on the odds board at +750.
