Inside The Celtics

Former Damian Lillard Teammate Makes Case for Star Guard to Join Celtics

Damian Lillard joining the Celtics without Jaylen Brown relocating would give Boston the best top four in the NBA and the former his best chance at a championship.

Bobby Krivitsky

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As the Celtics work to put the finishing touches on their roster, one more glaring item remains unfinished. While the most lucrative contract in NBA history, a five-year, veteran supermax extension that could be worth up to $304 million, is in Jaylen Brown's near future, the two sides continue hashing out the details of the deal.

And with the two-time All-Star and one of the vice presidents of the National Basketball Players Association off to Spain for an NBPA event, further patience is required with negotiations expected to pause.

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Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Once Brown signs his extension, he's ineligible to get traded for a year. Boston likely wouldn't part with the 26-year-old All-NBA wing to acquire Damian Lillard anyways due to the latter being a 33-year-old undersized guard (six-foot-two) on the books for $45.6 million for the coming campaign, $48.8 million for the 2024-25 season, an estimated $58.5 million for 2025-26, and he has a $63.2 million player option for 2026-27.

But the Celtics have checked in with the Trail Blazers, gauging what it would take to acquire the seven-time All-Star. Beyond due diligence, there's likely a level of interest in striking a deal for Lillard.

One potential obstacle is whether Portland would agree to a deal sending its franchise player to Boston for a package of picks projecting to land in the 20s, Robert Williams, Derrick White, and salary filler.

Another is the seven-time All-NBA guard expressing a "resounding no" on his openness to ending up with the Celtics or Clippers, per The Athletic's Shams Charania.

However, with Lillard wanting to join the Heat, he must create as much leverage as possible, including conveying he's unwilling to go anywhere else.

But it's hard to imagine him being a bad teammate on or off the court, especially if he's on a title contender, even though the organization doesn't reside by South Beach.

So, even though Boston's stopped pursuing the 11-year veteran, according to a recent report from the Globe's Adam Himmelsbach, that could change, especially if Lillard softens his stance.

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David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

One of his former teammates, Evan Turner, who spent two seasons with the Celtics, made his case for why the star guard should want to take his talents to Boston in an interview with The Schmo.

The former second overall pick, who stated, "I think what makes the most sense is, I'm a big Boston Celtics fan, so I want to see him go to Boston," expressed, "One thing I really want to see for Dame is being able to display his talent.

"One big stage, just like international fight week, playoff time is a big stage (to) showcase the talent in (the) NBA, and I think the past couple years of having a playoff run without Dame Lillard, we really missed out on some great games and some moments where we're talking about his legacy and his greatness."

Not to say Lillard couldn't lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy in Miami or with another franchise outside of Boston, but joining the Celtics without Jaylen Brown heading elsewhere would give the latter the best top four in the NBA, and from this vantage point, it's where the former is most likely to win a championship.

Further Reading

Celtics Reportedly Show Interest in Signing Austin Rivers

Gabe Vincent Says He Sensed Celtics Were 'Not Fully Right Internally' in Eastern Conference Finals

Negotiations Between Celtics, Jaylen Brown Hit a Snag

3 Up, 3 Down from Celtics' Summer League Win vs. Lakers

Here's What the Celtics Received in Finalized Grant Williams Sign-and-Trade

Sam Cassell Discusses What Brought Him Back to Boston and What He'll Bring to the Celtics

Celtics Reportedly Attend Former All-Star Point Guard's Private Workout

Oshae Brissett on Joining Celtics: 'I Just Want to Go Win'

Marcus Smart Reflects on His Time with Celtics: 'I Left Everything I Had'

Evaluating Celtics' Options in Free Agency

Published
Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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