The Boston Celtics have had a rough last couple of months. Jayson Tatum went down with a torn Achilles in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, which will likely keep him out for the 2025-26 NBA season.
After that, the Celtics were forced to sell off a couple of their key pieces due to the luxury tax. They shipped veteran guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers and backed up that move with a trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks.
Boston has kept Jaylen Brown and Derrick White despite a lot of rumors surrounding those two players, but there are major questions about the future.
How can the Celtics get back to being an elite NBA Finals contender? One option that has come up would be a deal with free agent star point guard Damian Lillard.
Read more: LeBron James Idea Ties Knicks to Offseason Splash Move
Lillard was waived and stretched by the Milwaukee Bucks after they signed Myles Turner. He will be paid handsomely over the next five years by the Bucks. That opens the door for him to sign with a championship contender on a team-friendly contract.
It has been reported that Boston is among the list of teams that has interest in signing Lillard.
Now, a new report has been made that gives the Celtics reason for hope that Lillard could sign with the franchise. That report came from Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. He has reported that Lillard has mutual interest with the team due to his friendship with Tatum.
“Lillard has some interest in the Celtics, in part because of the close friendship he’s built with star forward Jayson Tatum,” Washburn wrote.
Bringing Lillard in would help the team replace Holiday. Of course, Lillard is currently recovering from a torn Achilles that he suffered in the first round of the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.
While Achilles injuries take a lot of time to come back from, there is some hope that Lillard could return to the court at some point in the middle of the 2025-26 season.
Read more: Report: Lakers Interested in Sleeper Free Agency Option
During the 2024-25 NBA season in 58 games, Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from the three-point line.
His regular season ended early due to blood clot issues, but he was able to return for the playoffs after healing from that ailment.
Only time will tell what Lillard’s next chapter entails, but Boston is a legitimate landing spot for him at this point.
For more on the Boston Celtics and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
The post Celtics’ Interest in Damian Lillard Receives Major Update appeared first on Newsweek.
