Celtics reportedly ‘have interest’ in Damian Lillard

Although there have been departures throughout the Celtics’ offseason thus far, a fresh report has raised the intriguing prospect of a significant arrival.

The Bucks allegedly released nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard on Tuesday, and Boston may be interested in signing him as a free agency. The Celtics are intrigued in the 34-year-old guard, per an extensive athletic story by Eric Nehm, Sam Amick, and Joe Vardon about the Bucks’ future.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Golden State Warriors are reportedly among the numerous clubs interested in making a transaction as quickly as possible, according to league sources, according to The Athletic.

Naturally, there are significant disclaimers in the possible intentions for Lillard and the Celtics. From the standpoint of the player, Lillard is comparable to Jayson Tatum of the Celtics, who is presently recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture that was incurred during an April first-round playoff series.

Boston’s Celtics may already be more focused on the upcoming season as they prepare for a potential gap year without Tatum, who does not yet have a comeback date. However, the fact that Lillard’s own return date is still up in the air may work to the Celtics’ advantage because there won’t be any pressure to return in the 2025–2026 campaign.

It’s unclear exactly what the Celtics’ offer to Lillard could look like, considering that they barely avoided a huge luxury tax penalty by moving stars Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.

Fans would, however, be thrilled about the possibility of adding Lillard to Boston’s lineup—one that eventually features Tatum once more. Boston would be able to make up for the loss of Holiday and Porzingis if the former All-NBA First Team player could regain even a small portion of his prior performance.