USATSI_20257746 — Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics Reportedly Not Pursuing Damian Lillard

The reasons behind the Celtics not seeking a trade for Damian Lillard.

Author:
Bobby Krivitsky
Jul 6, 2023 3:59 PM EDT

In this story:

From a salary-matching standpoint, the Celtics could acquire Damian Lillard without parting with Jaylen Brown. But as previously explored, it's hard to believe the Trail Blazers would trade the face of their franchise for picks likely to fall in the 20s, Robert Williams, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon.

Even if they would, it's fair to question whether Jayson Tatum, Brown, Lillard, and Kristaps Porzingis could parlay their talent into a cohesive unit that delivers a championship.

Perhaps, that's worth finding out, understanding it would likely be a one-year experiment, making it easier for players to sacrifice for a chance at a title.

But try selling Portland's fan base on that return for the seven-time All-NBA guard. One doesn't have to be Nostradamus to see that trade isn't happening.

And the Trail Blazers are unlikely to trade for Brown, knowing the incentive for him to play out his contract would outweigh the motivation to sign an extension beforehand.

Rather than gambling on him staying in Portland for more than a season, the two-time All-Star would likely have to go to a franchise more confident it can re-sign him, like the Rockets, in a three-team deal. Houston could then supply Portland with a package of promising young players.

But according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, the Celtics aren't pursuing that path to acquiring Lillard either, with league sources conveying they "have no intention" of getting involved in the bidding for him.

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The punitive nature of the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, which already cost Boston Grant Williams, a player it would've kept under the previous CBA, could reduce how much longer the organization builds around its All-NBA duo.

If Tatum and Brown get signed to supermax extensions, when those are both on the team's books in 2025-26, the tandem will account for roughly 70 percent of its cap space. If the franchise decides now that's untenable, it makes trading the latter, who turns 27 in October, for Lillard, about to turn 33, more enticing.

But there are other factors to consider as the Celtics refrain from pursuing the seven-time All-Star.

While this author doubts Lillard would be a bad teammate on or off the court, especially with a chance to win a championship, his not wanting to come to Boston may hold weight.

He's also a six-foot-two point guard in a league where undersized players don't often age gracefully and under contract 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 has a $63.2 million player option for 2026-27.

The Celtics also believe in Brown, who earned All-NBA honors last season. And he and Tatum have led the franchise to the Eastern Conference Finals four of their first six years together and got them within two wins of Banner 18. They want to see what the duo can accomplish together in their primes.