One of the most dominant storylines of the summer has been Damian Lillard’s impending divorce from the Portland Trail Blazers. It seems as if the split is going to have some serious repercussions for the Boston Celtics in just about any of the likely outcomes.
The most heavily rumored destination for the All-NBA guard has been the Miami Heat. However, ESPN’s Marc Spears recently reported that both the Celtics and Jayson Tatum have shown interest in getting Lillard to Boston.
“I think at 33 years old, he looks at the landscape of the West and it’s like ‘Mmmm… I think my chances are better to go out East, and if Miami is able to make the Finals without somebody like myself, what can they do with me?’ So, you don’t make that move unless it’s certainly a calculated risk,” Spears said during an appearance on the Sports By Northwest” podcast. “And I know that Boston, I know Jayson Tatum has called him, try to get in his ear, but his focus is definitely on Miami.”
What would a Boston Celtics trade for Damian Lillard look like?
This was a rumor that circulated a bit earlier in the summer before Jaylen Brown signed his lucrative contract extension. Since then, it’s died down quite a bit, but of course has had this resurgence.
The difference is that since Brown has signed the extension, he won’t be able to be traded until January, meaning that if Boston was to land Lillard then it would be through a trade that doesn’t include him.
Some of the most popular names who have been included in mock deals for Portland’s No. 0 have been Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III. The sum of the pair’s salaries helps the Celtics get close to matching Lillard’s $45 million salary for the upcoming season.
On top of those two, the Cs would probably have to offload a ton of draft capital as well.
Should the Boston Celtics trade for Damian Lillard?
This rumor has been dragged out for far too long. Lillard doesn’t want to be with the Celtics, the Celtics would have to risk far too much to land him at a less-than-ideal age.
At just six-foot-two, Lillard only has so many productive years left. His lack of height has been something he’s made up for with athleticism, which tends to erode away with old age. Not to mention that the seven-time All-Star is owed a combined $121.7 million for his age 35 and 36 seasons.