Today's Trail Blazers Mike Richman and Meiji Brandon Sprague co-hosted a podcast program, during which Brandon Sprague mentioned that the team welcomed Lillard back.

Brandon Sprague said he was not optimistic about the Trail Blazers to welcome Lillard back. He said: "I know Lillard will go to training, go to rehabilitation centers, and go to various physiotherapy institutions to adjust his body. I know his work ethics very well, but it doesn't matter. He is about to be 36 years old. He is not Durant. I don't know how many times I need to talk to you about this topic. It doesn't mean that KD does it, it means that Lillard will do it. If you don't believe it, look at Clay, Clay's condition will gradually become worse after injury and even be traded. Maybe Clay will find his foothold and hope the Mavericks will help him in many ways, right? But we don't know the medical records of point guards of that age recovering from injuries. I heard of this kind of After injury, he could only recover to 80% of his form, so maybe he would do so in the future. ’

Durant's last season with the Golden State Warriors was a turning point in his career. He suffered an Achilles tendon injury in the 2019 Finals, resulting in the entire 2019-20 season. Since then, he played in Brooklyn and Phoenix, and although he was selected for four All-Stars and still scored well, he failed to enter the top nine in the MVP vote.

Clay underwent Achilles tendon repair surgery in November 2020, and averaged 14 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2 assists per game in the Mavericks last season; Clay averaging 21.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in the 2018-19 season.