OAKLAND >> Damian Lillard has worn the No. 0 for his entire Hall of Fame career as an homage to Oakland, the city he still considers home.

Milwaukee released Lillard on Tuesday morning, which brings up a fascinating question.

Should the hometown Warriors seriously pursue the 34-year-old who will likely miss the entire upcoming 2025-26 season with an Achilles injury?

Multiple outlets have reported that the Bucks will pay Lillard $22 million per year for the next five seasons after stretching the rest of his two-year, $113 million contract, and that there is interest from around the league.

This gives Lillard flexibility when deciding what he wants to do next.

“He receives all of his money guaranteed, and it provides him an opportunity to decide his next destination as an unrestricted free agent,” Lillard’s agent Aaron Goodwin told the Oregonian. “He gets a chance to rehab at home if he chooses to, and be with his family and his kids for the next year.”

So why shouldn’t the Warriors kick the tires on a two-year, veteran minimum contract for the best player to come out of the Town in decades?

After not making any signings during the first 24 hours of free agency, that would be a way for general manager Mike Dunleavy to make a splash regardless of what happens with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.

Lillard could spend next season rehabilitating with the team — or his family — while Milwaukee pays his salary, and then play for Golden State for almost nothing during the 2026-27 season.

If he is anywhere close to the offensive dynamo who has averaged 25.1 points and made 3.1 3-pointers per game for his career, Lillard playing for peanuts would be the biggest bargain in the league.

He would also fit the Warriors’ current timeline, which sees Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green’s contracts all expire during the 2027 offseason.