Damian Lillard is listed as day-to-day with a left Achilles issue on the Sunday injury report. His expected return date of Oct. 1 falls before Portland's regular-season opener on Oct. 7 against the Warriors.
What happened
The Trail Blazers listed Damian Lillard as day-to-day with a left Achilles issue on the injury report released Sunday, Sept. 6 at 4:32 a.m. ET. The report does not list a previous status for Lillard. Its comment notes that Lillard defeated Devin Booker and Kon Knueppel in the final round of Saturday's 2026 State Farm 3-Point Contest, winning his third title. The report lists an expected return date of Oct. 1.
What it means for the Trail Blazers
Portland opens its 2026-27 season on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 10 p.m. ET against the Warriors, and Lillard's expected return date of Oct. 1 falls before that game. The 36-year-old guard has no season averages yet, since the 2026-27 season has not started. If he is unavailable, backcourt minutes would fall to Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson, while Shaedon Sharpe, who would typically also share those minutes, is out with a right knee issue of his own. There are no regular-season games yet, so the team has no record with or without him this season.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Lillard's status changes as Portland approaches its Oct. 7 opener against the Warriors. His expected return date of Oct. 1 would put him ahead of that game if it holds. Shaedon Sharpe (right knee) is out and Ja Morant (left elbow) is day-to-day, both also on the team's injury report ahead of the season opener.
Is Damian Lillard playing vs Warriors?
Lillard is day-to-day with a left Achilles issue. His expected return date of Oct. 1 falls before Portland's Oct. 7 opener against the Warriors, but his status for that specific game is not announced.
When will Damian Lillard be back?
The injury report lists an expected return date of Oct. 1 for Lillard's left Achilles issue.