Damian Lillard will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NBA career. After the Milwaukee Bucks waived and stretched Lillard to make room for Myles Turner, Lillard will be free to choose wherever he goes.
The only catch with any interested suitor is the strong likelihood that he won’t play for the entirety of the 2025-26 season. There is one team that reportedly has interest in bringing Lillard in despite that: the Boston Celtics. Apparently, the feeling is mutual.
Damian Lillard Has Interest in Joining the Celtics Because of Jayson Tatum
The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn reported that both Lillard and the Celtics have a mutual interest in each other. More specifically, Lillard may join the team because of his rapport with Jayson Tatum.
“One team Lillard has interest in joining is the Boston Celtics. And the Celtics reportedly have shared interest in teaming up with the veteran point guard,” Washburn wrote. “When Lillard was seeking a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers two years ago, he wasn’t interested in a trade to Boston. Now, Lillard has some interest in the Celtics, in part because of the close friendship he’s built with star forward Jayson Tatum.”
#Celtics adding Damian Lillard an intriguing move for 2026-27 https://t.co/WmpCGJEvKu via @BostonGlobe
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) July 3, 2025
Boston wouldn’t have much to lose by adding Lillard to the team, as Tatum is also expected to miss the 2025-26 season because of his Achilles tear. With those two out, combined with the losses of Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and likely Al Horford, Boston is expected to take a gap year while Tatum recuperates.
Getting those two, along with a potentially high lottery pick, could be the ideal offseason for the Celtics next year. Lillard may be in his mid-30s, but he is still one of the most efficient scoring guards of the 21st century.
Indeed, he didn’t work out as well for the Bucks as they would have liked, but that doesn’t mean he’s past his prime or can’t fit on a contender at this stage of his career. Having his scoring gravity to put next to Tatum and Jaylen Brown could help the Celtics mitigate losing the personnel that they did.
The last time Tatum and Brown had that presence was Kemba Walker, though he sadly prematurely fell out of his prime too quickly in Boston because of knee problems. The Celtics wouldn’t be getting Lillard in his prime if he joined the team, but if he comes at a discounted price, he just might be worth it.