Damian Lillard shockingly returned to the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason after just spending two seasons away from the franchise where he built his Hall of Fame legacy. Part of the motivation behind Lillard's return was family-related. He now has an entire season to rehab from his brutal Achilles tear in the Portland area, and also has a rare no-trade clause to guarantee he won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
But at the same time, Lillard has consistently been adamant that this was also a basketball decision. The Blazers have a much more promising long-term outlook than the team he first left, in part because of the assets they received from the blockbuster deal that landed him in Milwaukee.