Damian Lillard Working to Return, Potentially During 2026 NBA Playoffs

The Portland Trail Blazers lost Game 3 of their 2026 NBA playoffs first-round series to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and now trail the best-of-seven series 2–1.

Game 4 takes place on Sunday, and the following Monday marks an important day for currently injured Blazers guard Damian Lillard. It was on April 27 a year ago that Lillard tore his Achilles tendon while in the postseason and playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.

It was believed that the injury and subsequent reconstructive surgery would sideline Lillard for not just the entire calendar year, which it has, but also the entire 2025–26 NBA season. That included the postseason, as no one expected Lillard to suit up for Portland again when he rejoined his longtime team last offseason. However, Dame Time could make an appearance—on the court, not in street clothes—as early as the 2026 NBA playoffs for the Blazers.

The Trail Blazers’ social media department certainly added fuel to the fire of a potential Lillard return when it released a video, coupled with cinematic music, of Lillard working out on the court before Game 2 against the Spurs. Portland’s social media staff also included the “looking eyes” emoji, which got Blazers fans excited.

Portland interim head coach Tiago Splitter was then asked about Lillard potentially returning this postseason after a practice on Thursday.

“He’s working out. He’s trying to get ready to play. When that’s going to be, we don’t know,” Splitter said. “All I can say is that he’s working out as he always does. Whatever you guys saw on that film is what he’s been doing the last two or three months. He’s working every day. He’s the first one to get to the practice facility every day at 7 a.m., … going to the court, shooting a thousand shots, drills, that’s who Dame is.”

When a reporter followed up by asking if Lillard would play in this current series versus San Antonio, Splitter replied, “Probably not.”

However, that was Splitter’s stance on Thursday—a day before the Blazers lost to a Spurs team without its star in Victor Wembanyama (concussion) in Game 3 on Friday. With that, Portland also lost the home-court advantage it took from the Spurs by taking Game 2 in San Antonio.

With the Spurs now with another series lead, with home-court advantage again, and with Wembanyama likely returning for Game 4 on Sunday, that may change Portland’s stance on Lillard being out for this series. It was believed that Portland would need a deep postseason run for the future Hall of Famer to have a chance to get back on the court, but Portland is getting close to a backs-against-the wall situation, which it will be in if it drops Game 4 to go down 3–1 in the series.

Lillard was one of three star players who tore their Achilles tendons in last year’s playoffs, with the fates of the other two having already been decided for the 2026 NBA playoffs. Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers suffered his injury in last year’s NBA Finals, missing the entire 2025–26 regular season, and with Indiana not in the playoffs, Haliburton will next see the court at the start of the 2026–27 season.

Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics tore his Achilles two weeks after Lillard did in last year’s postseason. He didn’t even wait a full 12 months to return to play as he was back on the court in fewer than 10 months, making his return in early March. He’s looking like his All-NBA self and is averaging 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in Boston’s series versus the Philadelphia 76ers, even hitting the dagger 3-pointer in the Celtics’ Game 3 win over Philly on Friday, as Boston leads 2–1.

Tatum’s successful return has likely played a role in Portland being open to the idea of Lillard returning in the playoffs, but one also has to remember that Tatum just turned 28 years old. Lillard will turn 36 in a few months, and he’s a year older than the age Kobe Bryant was when the Lakers great tore his Achilles late in the 2012–13 season.

Bryant returned to the court just eight months after the injury, and it was apparent that he was not fully recovered. His points per game were half of what he put up the previous year; he averaged a career high in turnovers and shot a career worst in 3-point percentage. After just six games, the lingering effects of the Achilles injury then led to recurring knee issues, and Bryant was shut down for the rest of the 2013–14 season, before then dealing with a malady of ailments in his final two NBA seasons.

If the Blazers are able to battle back in this Spurs series and miraculously advance, then that would give them, and Lillard, more time, which would make the decision to potentially activate him easier. But if Portland is facing a win-or-go-home situation, then it may be forced to deploy the “break in case of emergency” option by putting the nine-time All-Star back on the court.