Lillard injured his Achilles late in the season, thus leading the Bucks to make the controversial decision to waive-and-stretch him. Even so, he’s in good spirits and, judging by his latest words, doing just fine with his rehab.

The three-year contract that brought Damian Lillard back to Portland contains a rare no-trade clause. In a mailbag column, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (subscriber link) speculates on why the Trail Blazers were willing to include it.

Cutting through all the goodwill and excitement, what will Lillard’s reappearance really mean for the Blazers, though? That question has been asked multiple times in the Blazer’s Edge Mailbag. We’ll tackle it today.