Damian Lillard Trade Rumors: Celtics Have 'Expressed Some Interest' in Blazers PG

Could Damian Lillard find himself in Boston next season?

While Lillard reportedly requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers and has a preference to play for the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics have at least "expressed some interest" in the veteran point guard, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Wednesday on NBA Today:

"When you look at the league and his stated preference is to win, and teams that have the assets and maybe the ability to get this done, the Boston Celtics have the ability to get this done...I know they have expressed some interest already in this, but this is not a team that is necessarily on the list, this is not a city that he would necessarily welcome going to right now, at least from what I understand, but as far as a team that can win and that actually has the assets to do it, they make a lot of sense."

ESPN's Zach Lowe also suggested Wednesday on NBA Today that the Celtics could hypothetically package Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III and draft picks in exchange for Lillard.

Additionally, Marc Spears of Andscape hinted during an appearance on NBA Today over the weekend (h/t MassLive's Brian Robb) that Jayson Tatum was trying to get Lillard to consider joining the Celtics.

"I'm hearing Jayson Tatum is knocking on that door now too to figure out a way to get (Lillard) to come to Boston," Spears said.

The Celtics could use an upgrade at point guard this offseason after trading longtime starter Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in the three-team deal that sent Kristaps Porziņģis to Boston from the Washington Wizards.

Brogdon, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and newly-signed Dalano Banton are Boston's current options at the point, and that's not ideal for a franchise with significant championship aspirations.

Adding Lillard to a Boston roster that includes Tatum, Porziņģis, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford would help put the Celtics over the top in their quest to win their first NBA title since the Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen era in 2008.

Although Lillard reportedly prefers to be moved to Miami, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin made it clear in a statement Saturday that the franchise is going to make the deal that helps the franchise the most.

"We have been clear that we want Dame here but he notified us today he wants out and he'd prefer to play someplace else," Cronin said. "What has not changed for us is that we're committed to winning, and we are going to do what's best for the team in pursuit of that goal."

Lillard is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2022-23. In 58 games with the Blazers, he averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists while shooting 46.3 percent from the floor and 37.1 percent from deep.

The 32-year-old's trade request came after years of speculation that he might want out of Portland due to the franchise's inability to truly contend for an NBA title. In his 11 seasons with the Trail Blazers, the team only made it to the Western Conference Finals once, which came when it was swept by the Golden State Warriors during the 2019 postseason.

Lillard will earn $45.6 million in 2023-24, so the Celtics would need to clear some significant cap space to make a deal for the seven-time All-Star work. He's also under contract through 2025-26 and has a player option worth $63.2 million in in 2026-27.

While all eyes are on Lillard, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Wednesday that a trade "very likely could still take weeks" to play out, so fans will have to remain patient throughout the process.