If the Boston Celtics don’t land Damian Lillard, it won’t be due to a lack of interest.
An explosive report from The Athletic dropped this week, indicating that the Celtics were among the teams pursuing a deal for Lillard, now a free agent after being waived by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Soon after, The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn confirmed that Lillard had Celtics interest.
“One team Lillard has interest in joining is the Boston Celtics,” Washburn wrote on Thursday. “And the Celtics reportedly have shared interest in teaming up with the veteran point guard.”
“When Lillard was seeking a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers two years ago, he wasn’t interested in a trade to Boston,” Washburn continued. “Now, Lillard has some interest in the Celtics, in part because of the close friendship he’s built with star forward Jayson Tatum.”
Story continues below advertisement
Forbes’ Evan Sidery joined in on the Lillard-Celtics buzz on Sunday, painting an image of Lillard and Tatum rehabbing together between now and the 2026-27 season.
“There is mutual interest between Damian Lillard and the Celtics on a potential partnership, per (Washburn),” Sidery wrote.
“Lillard would be able to rehab a torn Achilles alongside Jayson Tatum, who suffered the same injury.”
A potential Lillard-Tatum duo has Celtics fans intrigued, naturally. The two players have 15 All-Star appearances between them. There is Lillard’s age to consider, which is more advanced than some fans may realize. Lillard is set to turn 35 on July 15, meaning he’d be 36 before the start of the 2026-27 season.
Story continues below advertisement
Nonetheless, Lillard is still an asset worth pursuing, especially at a bargain price. With Lillard, Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White on the same roster in 2026, the Celtics would be right back in the contender conversation, at least on paper.
