Lillard s 113 million contract was suddenly cut! The second anniversary curse is shrouded, and the Achilles tendon tear rewritten the trajectory of the superstar

Two years ago, on July 1, he bid farewell to Portland's Rose Garden Arena; on the same day two years later, Milwaukee's layoff notice was coldly placed before him. When the bells of the NBA free market are still echoing in the league, Damian Lillard, the 75 superstar who once used a final victory to define a critical moment, made the headlines in the most cruel way: the Bucks cut the star who has a two-year, $113 million contract with extended terms.

This layoff order was like a deep water bomb, shocking the entire basketball world. What hurts the fans even more is that only two months ago, Lillard fell to the ground with his left Achilles tendon covering his first round of the playoffs, and that silent and painful expression heralds the end of an era.

The capital choice of a flash of cold light

The Bucks management did not hesitate at all when they waved the layoff knife. Using the extended clause, they spread Lillard’s remaining $113 million salary to pay for the next five years, accounting for only about $22.5 million in salary space each year. The goal behind this actuary is clear: to make room for a four-year, $107 million signing Pacers center Miles Turner.

Turner's joining has built an inside double tower barrier for Antetokounmpo. His excellent frame protection ability and three-point shooting range perfectly matches the Bucks' ambition to upgrade their offense and defense. But the deal was expensive - when Antetokounmpo learned that Lillard was laid off, the Greek monster did not hide his dissatisfaction and shock.

Capital never believes in tears. During the two years since Lillard joined the Bucks, the team was eliminated by the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. Although his average 24.9 points and 7.1 assists per game in the regular season still shines at the All-Star level, the shadow of injury has enveloped the future: Although the deep vein thrombosis of the right calf in March was magically cured within one month, it laid hidden dangers; the moment of the tear of the left Achilles tendon on April 28 completely overwhelmed the confidence of the management 38. The ruptured Achilles tendon and ruptured trust

Medical report provides a cold footnote to the Bucks' decision: Lillard has successfully undergone Achilles tendon repair surgery, and the evaluation of surgeon Neal ElAttrache points to a long recovery period - Lillard may miss the entire 2025-26 season. The data from sports medicine expert Jeff Stotts is even more suffocating: the average recovery period for Achilles tendon tear is about 10 months for NBA players. Kobe returned 240 days after being seriously injured, but don't forget that he was 54 days younger than Lillard at that time. When a 35-year-old veteran's contract hits a devastating injury, the team's choice is only a stop loss. There is a sad paradox hidden in Lillard's tragic trajectory: he could have been restless to recuperate in this playoffs, but he returned early when the team was 0-1 behind the Pacers. The body, whose blood clot was just recovering, was far from recovering. The bleak data averaged only 7 points per game and a shooting percentage of 22.2% in three playoffs. In the end, it turned into a tragedy of a ruptured Achilles tendon in a G4 run without confrontation. This professional spirit eventually backfired his Milwaukee career.

The intersection under the shadow of history

When Lillard left the arena with crutches, DeMarcus Cousins' shadow loomed at the end of the corridor. The 2018 Pelicans Test was also at its peak (25+13+5 per game), and also suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon. Since then, he has become an All-Star center to a league homeless man, and eventually drifted to the Puerto Rico League. There are also Wall, Kobe and Durant on the NBA's Achilles Curse Roster - the former two have not returned to the peak again, only Durant has completed a miracle rebirth with his historical talent.

Lillard's situation is subtle and dangerous. Although the total career salary is locked at more than $440 million due to Bucks installments (far exceeding Cousins' 91.91 million), the challenge at the competitive level has just begun. Several reporters revealed that "double-digit teams" have become interested in Lillard, but there are only options for basic salary or middle-class special cases left on the negotiating table.

The Sixth Man's Road to Redemption

The glimmer of light remains in the darkness. Unlike Cousins's style of playing with explosive power, Lillard's arsenal is more diverse. His scalpel-like pass and ultra-long three-pointers do not rely entirely on athletic ability, and the big heart characteristics at critical moments are even more engraved with genes. If he is willing to let go of his figure and transform, he may become the sixth most lethal person in the league.

Imagine a scene: When the main team of the championship team is off the court, Lillard leads the second team to the field, controls the rhythm with experience, and suddenly uses three-pointers to make a cold arrow when the opponent's defense is relaxed. After the 8-10-month recovery cycle, he may become the secret weapon of a powerful man in the 2026 playoffs - like Porter of the Warriors in 2022 and Barria of the Mavericks in 2011. When he left Portland two years ago, Lillard left a note in the locker room: "Loyalty sometimes means moving forward alone." Now that note has long turned yellow, and the road ahead is even more vast. When he completed his last set of Achilles tendon stretches in the rehabilitation room in the early hours of the morning, the billboard in Milwaukee outside the window was shining with a huge poster of Turner's joining. The NBA never leaves a decent exit for heroes, but always leaves a narrow door for the fighters in the rubble.

Cousins ​​wandered into the sea breeze of Puerto Rico, still looking for a ticket to the Union; while Lillard's rudder was still in his own hands - whether he was at the helm to the coast of redemption of the Sixth Man or recreating legends in the face of the wind and waves. When Milwaukee installment checks continue to be sent for the next five years, the real suspense in the basketball world is: will the remittance statement be a retirement statement or a "Dame Time" winning across time and space?