The NBA offseason has been very busy so far. While most big names in NBA free agency have found new homes, Damian Lillard is still available after being waived and stretched by the Milwaukee Bucks to make room for their move to sign Myles Turner.
Lillard is still recovering from the torn Achilles that he suffered in the first round of the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers. However, there has been optimism that he could return at some point during the 2025-26 season.
Plenty of teams have already been linked as potential suitors for Lillard. Those teams would be expected to sign him two a two-year deal.
While there are questions about where Lillard could sign, one current NBA star spoke out with his thoughts on the situation.
Philadelphia 76ers star forward Paul George weighed in on the topic. He wants to see Lillard head to the Houston Rockets.
Of course, the Rockets have been very busy this offseason. They acquired Kevin Durant in a blockbuster deal with the Phoenix Suns. Also, they have gone out and re-signed quite a few important pieces and brought in other rotation pieces like Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency.
George made his case for Houston as a possible Lillard destination during an appearance on his podcast, "Podcast P."
"Put him with Houston," George said. "You put him on that team where there is a KD, there's defense around him. There's length around him. If it's a smaller guard, pair him with length around him."
Truthfully, the Rockets make a ton of sense for Lillard. They are a team who would not need to rush him back. Whenever he's ready to return to the court, he would be able to take it easy and simply focus on getting back to the superstar that he has been throughout his entire NBA career.
Fred VanVleet is currently penciled in as the starting point guard for Houston. Lillard could take over that role when he's fully healthy, or they could play him at shooting guard.
During the 2024-25 NBA season with the Bucks, Lillard played in 58 games. He averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from beyond the three-point line.
Adding those numbers to the current core that the Rockets have put together would make them an even more serious NBA Finals contender.
On the outside looking in, the fit seems like it would be a perfect situation for both parties. No one knows where Lillard will end up, but Houston is a team worth watching closely.
For more on the Houston Rockets and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Related Articles
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.