Damian Lillard's Unexpected Request Reignites Boston Celtics Trade Rumors

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, Damian Lillard has requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. The anticipated break-up comes after Lillard’s eleventh season as a Trail Blazer.

Sources told Wojnarowski and Shelburne that the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers are interested in trading for the seven-time All-Star.

Lillard’s interest in joining the Heat has been apparent since June. In an interview with Brian Custer on Showtime’s The Last Stand, Lillard said “Miami, obviously… Bam (Adebayo) is my dog for real, but Miami is an obvious one”.

"Miami, obviously. ... Bam is my dawg. ... Brooklyn is another obvious one, because Mikal Bridges is my dawg, too."

-Damian Lillard on preferred hypothetical trade destination out of Miami, Boston, New York and Brooklyn

(via @shobasketball, Last Stand Podcast) pic.twitter.com/R74ct7CY2i
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 7, 2023

The Boston Celtics are also considered realistic trade partners for the 32-year-old guard. Though Boston isn’t Lillard’s preferred destination, his contract doesn’t contain a no-trade clause and he’s never expressed distaste towards the idea.

Whether the Celtics should trade for Lillard depends on what would need to be dealt away. Popular trade suggestions feature Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III, first-round picks, and Jaylen Brown.

If Boston’s front office were to lose Brown, their star swingman, the structure of the team may change too dramatically. With a core of Jayson Tatum and Brown, the Celtics made an NBA Finals appearance in 2022 and were one victory away from doing so in 2023.

A trade package revolving around Brogdon, Williams III, and other assets is possible, but the specifics of the deal would need to be carefully calculated. After a hypothetical deal with Portland, Boston’s starting lineup should include Lillard, Brown, Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford.

The allure of Lillard is tempting to many top franchises, as the NBA 75th Anniversary Team selectee has yet to play on a championship-bound roster. For the 2022-2023 season, Lillard averaged 32.2 points, a new career-high, and 7.3 assists over 58 games.

It’s likely that Lillard would fit well into Boston’s lineup, though the risks seem to outweigh the rewards. The Celtics have been on the brim of winning a championship for the past few years and Lillard's acquisition would be detrimental to keeping a rotation with deep depth.