When Damian Lillard felt his Achilles tendon snap in April, his first thought wasn’t of self-pity, as you might imagine. He didn’t ask, “Why me?” as others might have. “I think everybody else had more pity for me than I did,

After signing a three-year, $45 million deal to return to the Blazers, Lillard said "it never felt right, not being home.”

Lillard requested a trade out of Portland in 2023, with the Heat being his preferred destination. However, he was ultimately dealt to Milwaukee in a blockbuster three team trade that would give Giannis Antetokounmpo another top player to play with.