“Going to be 38, moving the same”: Damian Lillard shuts down critics questioning if he is worth $216 million impending salary

There was plenty of upside for a team looking to trade for Damian Lillard. However, the downside, according to critics, was a glaring one, valued at $216 million. For those who didn't understand, that's the sum Lillard is owed over the next four seasons. At 33, Lillard isn't getting any younger.

A gradual decline is imminent. With Lillard set to make $63 million when he turns 37, several analysts raised eyebrows over potential suitors wanting to acquire him after he demanded a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. The former Rookie of the Year was also out for majority of the 2021-22 season after undergoing surgery for an abdominal injury.

These are legitimate concerns for a player edging closer to his mid-30s. A sum like that hamstrings a team's ability to use its resources to build a well-balanced team around aging superstars. However, Damian Lillard has shunned the belief that he couldn't contribute at a high level five years later.

"I don't know why they would think that," Lillard told SI's Chris Mannix. "I don’t live a hard life. I’ve shown no signs of slowing down. I saw people saying, Oh, he gets hurt. I wasn't hurt last year. I was hurt the year before that. I chose to have surgery. I don’t have an injury history.

"There’s a lot of people who have been hurt a bunch of times. I’ve been healthy my whole career. So when I see that stuff, it’s almost like they’re giving me an opportunity to show that they’re wrong. I'm going to be 38, moving the same way I move right now. I promise you. And shooting, that doesn’t go away."

Damian Lillard has been one of the most available superstars since his debut. He has played all 82 games in the first three seasons of his NBA career. Except for the last two years, Lillard has appeared in at least 66 games every season. In 2021-22, he played only 29 times after undergoing surgery.

In 2022-23, he got shut down for the last 10 games of the season after playing 58 times. Lillard revealed he wasn't injured and was asked to be on the sidelines by the team management to improve their odds in the lottery.

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Damian Lillard debuts for Milwaukee Bucks

Damian Lillard has started his new chapter with the Milwaukee Bucks. He appeared in the Bucks jersey for the first time on the court in Sunday's preseason contest against the LA Lakers on the road. The Lakers didn't waste too long to limit Lillard's threat in the game.

They blitzed him with aggressive double teams on the defensive end, making his life difficult on offense. Lillard still scored 14 points while tallying three assists and four steals. He shot 3-of-10 from the floor. His first bucket as a Buck was a long-range attempt.

Lillard remained aggressive, though. He attacked the rim and drew fouls consistently. He made six trips to the foul line, knocking down all attempts. The early glimpse at the potential of his two-man game with Giannis Antetokounmpo seemed lethal.

Damian Lillard's shooting ability created all the space in the world for Giannis to get downhill, while their pick-and-roll game also seemed tough to guard in what was only their debut appearance together.