Damian Lillard Reportedly Rejected Celtics, Wolves and 'Dozens of Teams' for Blazers
The Achilles injury that could sideline Damian Lillard until the 2026-27 season didn't stop him from receiving "dozens" of offers following the Milwaukee Bucks' decision to waive him, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Lillard turned down contracts from the Boston Celtics, the Minnesota Timberwolves and "dozens of other teams" in order to return to the Portland Trail Blazers on a three-year deal, Charania said Friday on ESPN's SportsCenter.
The Athletic's Eric Nehm, Sam Amick and Joe Vardon previously reported that the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers were also among the teams interested in Lillard.
The nine-time All-Star is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season while rehabbing his Achilles injury, according to Charania.
That might not have bothered the Celtics given that the team will be building with an eye on the 2026-27 campaign while Jayson Tatum recovers from his own Achilles injury.
Gary WashburnĀ of theĀ Boston Globe reported last weekend that Tatum had been "active in recruiting Lillard to Boston."
The Celtics may have seen bringing in Lillard on a minimum or mid-level exception deal as a way to pair a veteran with Tatum while rebuilding a championship-caliber core in the wake of the trade departures of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps PorziÅÄ£is.
The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski meanwhile reported on Thursday that the Wolves "did check in with Lillard to see if there was anything worth exploring."
Bringing Lillard to Minnesota would eventually have allowed the Wolves to pair Lillard up with Anthony Edwards in the backcourt, with Mike Conley and Rob Dillingham as backup options.
Lillard instead returned to his former franchise with a three-year, $42 million contract that includes a third-year player option, a no-trade clause and will allow him to return to the city where his family and children live, per Charania.
