Damian Lillard was unceremoniously released from the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, July 1. The Eastern Conference franchise made use of the “waive and stretch” provision, adding over $20 million in dead cap space to their books for the foreseeable future. As such, once he clears waivers, Lillard will become an unrestricted free agent. The problem is, he’s expected to miss the majority, if not all, of the 2025-26 season due to an Achilles tendon tear.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Eric Nehm and Joe Vardon, the Boston Celtics are among a trio of teams that hold interest in acquiring Lillard. Boston recently traded Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers. Pairing Lillard with Derrick White, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would ensure the team bounced back into contention a year from now.
“League sources say Lillard received calls from several contending teams quickly after the news of his Bucks’ ending broke,” The trio reported. “League sources say the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are known to be among the many teams that would have interest in doing a deal sooner rather than later.”
Both the Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers could likely produce a more enticing contract offer than Boston. However, Lillard may be drawn to the idea of sharing the court with Tatum and Brown. Given the amount of playmaking available to Mazzulla, Lillard could operate off-ball more frequently, potentially allowing him to continue recovering from his injury while still being impactful.
It remains to be seen whether teams will try to sign Lillard now or once he’s been cleared for basketball activities. Still, if the Celtics want to avoid a bidding war, they could try to secure his services ahead of the season, even if that means accepting two roster spots being allocated to injured talent.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics could target recently-waived All-Star