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Come Fan with UsSaturday, June 20, 2026

Damian Lillard won’t let LaMarcus Aldridge leave Blazers without a fight

Lillard returned to the country from Paris to meet with Aldridge.

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Damian Lillard isn't ready to see teammate LaMarcus Aldridge leave Portland just yet.

Fresh off signing a five-year extension worth at least $125 million, Lillard is flying to Los Angeles for an unscripted visit with Aldridge as the free agent forward considers his options. For a couple of hours Wednesday morning it looked almost certain that Aldridge was headed to San Antonio, especially after the Spurs traded Tiago Splitter to the Hawks to clear up space for a max contract. Now the Suns have entered the race and Aldridge flew to Miami to meet with Heat president Pat Riley, making the decision much more complicated.

Lillard has played with Aldridge since he entered the league three years ago so it’s no wonder he wants his running mate to return. In addition to this impromptu visit, Lillard also reached out to Aldridge on Twitter encouraging him to re-sign in Portland after they had “built something great.”

It still looks like Aldridge is headed out the door but you can’t fault Lillard for trying.

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