The Celtics reportedly had curiosity in signing Damian Lillard after his shock launch from the Milwaukee Bucks. As a substitute, Lillard elected for a homecoming.
ESPN’s Shams Charania on Thursday reported the nine-time All-Star level guard was rejoining the Portland Trail Blazers on a three-year, $42 million contract. Lillard spent his first 11 NBA seasons in Portland earlier than taking part in the final two in Milwaukee.
The $14 million common annual wage doubtless was excess of the Celtics — whose precarious luxurious tax state of affairs as a second-apron group pressured them to jettison key gamers this offseason — would have been willing to pay Lillard. The 35-year-old is without doubt one of the league’s premier offensive gamers and most prolific 3-point shooters, however he tore his Achilles in late April and is predicted to overlook most or the entire 2025-26 season.
Lillard “had a number of mid-level exception and minimal affords from NBA contenders,” per Charania’s report. The taxpayer MLE, which the Celtics can use in the event that they trim a small quantity of wage to drop again beneath the second apron, is value $5.7 million.
The Bucks nonetheless owe Lillard the $112.6 million remaining on his earlier deal, which they stretched over the subsequent 5 seasons for wage cap functions.
In Portland, Lillard will group up with former Celtics guard Jrue Vacation two years after they had been traded for one another through the 2023 offseason. The Path Blazers subsequently flipped Vacation to Boston, and the standout defender helped the C’s win the 2024 NBA championship.
Boston traded Holiday to the Blazers final month in a cost-cutting transfer, receiving offensive-focused guard Anfernee Simons in return. The Celtics additionally shipped Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta; misplaced Luke Kornet in free company; are anticipated to lose Al Horford, as effectively; and can be with out Jayson Tatum for at the least a big portion of subsequent season as he recovers from his personal Achilles surgical procedure, leaving them with a roster that’s significantly weaker than the one they fielded for the previous two seasons.
Signing Lillard wouldn’t have made Boston a extra aggressive group this season, nevertheless it might have helped speed up their return to competition in 2026-27, although gamers his age usually decline sharply after main Achilles accidents. Tatum was on board with that team-up and made a push to recruit Lillard — his former teammate on Group USA — based on a report from The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn.
Earlier than struggling his harm within the opening spherical of the NBA playoffs, Lillard additionally missed time after being identified with deep vein thrombosis in his calf. He averaged 24.9 factors and seven.1 assists per recreation in 58 appearances. It was the tenth consecutive season by which he averaged at the least 24 factors, and his sixth straight marketing campaign averaging at the least seven assists.
With newcomer Simons on an expiring contract, the Celtics at present have simply two guards signed past this season: starter Derrick White and NBA Sixth Man of the Yr Payton Pritchard. JD Davison, the 2024-25 G League MVP, is on a non-guaranteed deal for this season, and second-round rookie Max Shulga is on a two-way contract.
Simons, who performed 5 seasons alongside Lillard through the latter’s first Portland stint, is essentially the most completed participant the Celtics have added this offseason. The 26-year-old was a full-time starter for the final three seasons, averaging 20.7 factors and 4.7 assists per recreation throughout that span. Like his former teammate, he’s a standout 3-point shooter; Lillard is considered one of simply seven gamers who tried extra threes per recreation than Simons did during the last three seasons.
Boston’s different additions are profession backups: journeyman ahead Georges Niang and ex-Minnesota Timberwolves reserves Luka Garza and Josh Minott. The Celtics additionally drafted 19-year-old wing Hugo Gonzalez within the first spherical and heart Amari Williams and Shulga within the second.
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