Already on a supermax deal, loyalty has earned Dame even more dollars, first from the Trail Blazers and now the Bucks. Let’s dive into the details of the Damian Lillard contract extension.
NOTE: This story originally ran prior to Damian Lillard’s trade to the Milwaukee Bucks.
It may be slightly easy to forget that Damian Lillard has already been in the NBA for a decade. The 2012-13 Rookie of the Year has been one of the NBA’s most consistent superstars over the past several years and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in February.
Over time, his unyielding loyalty to the Portland Trail Blazers has grown iconic, and the team famously rewarded his unwavering faith with a four-year, $176.3 million supermax contract that kicked in last season. And despite three years remaining on his current deal, the Blazers opted this summer to lock in Lillard through 2026-27 with a two-year contract extension worth nearly $122 million that the player signed July 9.
The six-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA point guard has been paid handsomely for his on-court abilities, and now that he’s been given a third mega-money deal, he’s on pace to retire — whenever that day does come — as one of the biggest all-time earners not just in the Association, but all of American sports.
With that in mind, Boardroom looks at the numbers behind this big-time Damian Lillard contract extension.
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Damian Lillard Contract Details & Salary
All dollar figures via Spotrac.
Years: 2 (begins 2025-26)
Total value: $121,774,039
Average annual value: $60,887020
Free agency: 2027
Remaining salary under current supermax deal:
2022-23: $42,492,492
2023-24: $45,640,084
2024-25: $48,787,67
Annual contract extension earnings:
2025-26: $58,545,211
2026-27: $63,228,828
Even with three years remaining until free agency, it makes sense that Lillard would sign this two-year extension now. At 31 and a few months away from turning 32, he just finished his 10th year in the NBA and is very much into the second half of his career. An extension reaching into his age-36 season from the only pro team he’s ever known just feels right for one of the best players in Portland sports history.
Like his ongoing supermax deal, the two-year extension begins at 35% of the NBA salary cap. The final season of the deal, 2026-27, is a player option; the contract additionally stipulates that Lillard cannot be traded until July 9, 2023.
Even if this becomes Lillard’s last superstar-level deal, he’s set to become one of the first NBA players ever to make over $60 million in one season, and playing out the entire deal will push Lillard’s career earnings to an approximate $450 million based on current estimations.
Damian Lillard’s Career Earnings
NBA SALARY EARNINGS THRU 2021-22: $191,215,866
TOTAL SALARY EARNINGS THRU 2024-25 (end of supermax): $328,136,118
TOTAL SALARY EARNINGS THRU 2026-27 (end of extension): $449,910,157
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