The NBA offseason has seen a lot of big changes across the league. For the Boston Celtics, they have traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, while signing Luka Garza and Josh Minott. The biggest shocker so far has been the Milwaukee Bucks signing Myles Turner away from the Indiana Pacers.
To do this, the Bucks had to free up cap space to sign Turner. In the end, the Bucks decided to waive and stretch the contract of guard Damian Lillard. This move seemingly affects the Celtics, with them seemingly having interest in Lillard.
Celtics Reportedly Interested in Signing Damian Lillard
While Lillard is currently out injured with a ruptured Achilles, that hasn't stopped teams from being interested in the 34-year-old guard. Along with the Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors have expressed interest in signing him.
Lillard was drafted 6th overall by the Portland Trailblazers in the 2012 NBA draft. He'd spend 11 years in Portland, becoming a multi-time All-Star and All-NBA player. After a long trade request, Lillard was traded to the Bucks before the 2023-2024 NBA season. During his time with Portland, Lillard averaged 25 points, 6.7 assists, and 4 rebounds.
Dame would spend 2 seasons playing for the Bucks, averaging 24.6 points, 7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. In March of his second season, Lillard was diagnosed with blood clots in his right calf, causing him to miss the remainder of the regular season. He'd return for 3 playoff games before rupturing his Achilles in game 4.
Signing Lillard would require the Celtics to make a roster move, as they currently don't have a spot open for Lillard. Furthermore, signing Lillard would bring the Celtics closer to the 2nd apron, meaning they'd have to move someone with a bigger salary, like Sam Hauser or Georges Niang, to sign him. While Lillard had been a great contributor with the Bucks last season, who knows how he'll be coming back from his Achilles injury?
While no one knows how Lillard will be when he returns, he could be what the Celtics need to help compete. Bringing in Lillard would be a risk, but if he can return to being able to contribute, he could be a cheap option that would help Boston. If the Celtics are also looking to retool this year, then bringing in Lillard could make sense as you can take a gamble on him for when he returns, while giving younger players a bigger role this season.