Celtics
"If he's available on the cheap, which I believe he will be to whatever team signs him to his next deal, absolutely, I think they should consider pursuing him."
Milwaukee Bucks' Damian Lillard shoots a free throw during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, March 8, 2025, in Milwaukee.
Damian Lillard could be an intriguing pickup this offseason for Boston. AP Photo/Aaron Gash, File)
The Damian Lillard sweepstakes remain ongoing across the league, with the future Hall-of-Famer standing as an intriguing long-term asset for a team eyeing a title in 2026-27.
Even with Lillard’s standing as one of the best scorers of his generation, the 34-year-old guard is expected to miss nearly all of the 2025-26 season after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during the playoffs with Milwaukee.
With the Bucks opting to buy out the remainder of his contract earlier this month, Lillard is now an intriguing free agent who — even at his age and with that injury — could be a key pickup for a team two seasons from now when he’s back to full health.
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Given Boston’s desire to add more talent around the likes of a now-injured Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown during this contention window, it should come as little surprise that a team like Boston would be interested in Lillard.
“League sources say the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers are known to be among the many teams that would have interest in doing a deal sooner rather than later,” Eric Nehm, Sam Amick, and Joe Vardon of The Athletic noted in a story last week.
Even if the returns wouldn’t be immediate if the Celtics signed Lillard this offseason, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix mapped out on NBC Sports Boston why it would be a wise move for the Celtics — both in terms of on-court production and especially cap-related factors.
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“I think the mechanics of a deal will be the most important thing,” Mannix said. “Dame is done for the ’25-’26 season. He got injured in the first round of the playoffs. He’s not coming back until the same year Tatum is coming back. But I thought he was an interesting player for Boston when Portland was dangling him a couple of years ago.
“I still think he’s an interesting player now because he is a proven postseason scorer. He is a clutch shooter. And if he’s available on the cheap, which I believe he will be to whatever team signs him to his next deal, absolutely, I think they should consider pursuing him.
“And look, he’s not gonna be as pricey as he once was because he’s going to get the full $100+ million from Milwaukee after they waived and stretched him. So yeah, I think the Celtics are among the teams that are going to show an interest in Damian Lillard, but I do expect it to be a strong market for Damian Lillard.”
Even after dumping both Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday’s contracts earlier this offseason, Boston still is operating well above the luxury tax and can’t offer Lillard a hefty contract.
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But as a result of being bought out by Milwaukee, Lillard is set to get paid $22.5 million by the Bucks over the next five years — allowing him to possibly take a cheaper contract with another team as he prioritizes winning a title moving forward.
The Celitcs make plenty of sense for an injured Lillard going into a bridge year, especially with Boston moving forward without Tatum for likely the entire 2025-26 campaign after suffering an Achilles injury.
But Mannix stressed that Lillard may not be in a rush to sign a new contract, especially if he’s not going to play at all during the 2025-26 campaign.
“When I’ve talked to people around Lillard, I think he wants to rehab in Portland, or do a lot of it in Portland,” Mannix said. “He spent the last couple of years away from his family, away from his kids, living in Milwaukee. I talked to him about this in the past, others have as well, like, how difficult that was for him. I think he’d like to spend the bulk of next year around them, and I wouldn’t expect him to be looking for a deal right now.
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“He’s got plenty of money coming his way from Milwaukee. He’s got all the resources in the world potentially at his fingertips out there. I think there’s gonna be a decision he makes months from now rather than days and weeks from now.”
Last season with the Bucks, Lillard averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists per game.
Profile image for Conor Ryan
Conor Ryan
Sports Writer
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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