Boston Celtics SIGNING Damian Lillard In NBA Free Agency? Celtics Rumors ARE HOT

Boston Celtics SIGNING Damian Lillard In NBA Free Agency? Celtics Rumors ARE HOT

[Music] Following the Milwaukee Bucks waving and stretching Damen Lillard’s contract over the next five seasons, he is now on the free agency market. And the Celtics are reportedly on a list, a short list of teams looking to sign Dame Time. So on today’s show, we’re going to break down the prospect of signing Damen Lillard with the Boston Celtics as he might not be even on the court in 2526, much like Jason Tatum. We’ll get into all that in just a moment, but make sure you are subscribed to the channel because all the Celtics rumors this off seasonason are being covered right here at Celtics today. And we are just 35 subs away from our next milestone of 53,000 subscribers. So, could I ask that 35 Die Hard Boston Celtics fans go down below and hit that big red sub button. It’s completely free Boston Celtics coverage all year long. So, lock us in for your number one source for Celtics content on YouTube. All right, this came from Mark J. Spears on Damen Lillard’s Free Agency. Now, he says, “Not surprisingly,” League sources said Lillard received calls from several contending teams quickly after the news of the Bucks uh ending broke. League sources say the Golden State Warriors, the 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. I think that ending of Markx J. Spears’s quote here is something of note. And it is interesting that Lillard is such a hot commodity at this point. We know Dame Time is an automatic Hall of Famer uh at this point in his career, but you know, it looks kind of murky for the remainder of his NBA lifespan as he just suffered that torn Achilles in the postseason in the first round against Indiana. And it’s looking very shaky as to whether or not he’ll be available at all for the entirety of next season and in the next postseason as well. But, you know, we know Dame Lord is that guy, right? Like he’s one of the best scorers of our generation at that guard position. And look, I’ll be honest, the Milwaukee Bucks tenure in the in the one year that or the two years that he was a part of the of the team, they weren’t exactly the best of his career. You know, career lows and efficiencies back in 2023 24. Uh it just wasn’t exactly the onetwo punch that Milwaukee had hoped for when they made the big swing to find Giannis a co-star. And now Lillard is found on the free agency market. And who knows what kind of contract that he will command uh on the open market right now. I would assume it’s something in the realm of a veteran minimum. Like it can’t be uh a team is willing to give5$10 million away to Dame if he’s just going to be out there on the bench all of next season. But Mark Spears did say that there is quote unquote speculation that Lillard could return after the All-Star break in 2026. Like I I’m not so sure that I’m buying that 100%. But if he is able to come back and maybe maybe play, you know, a spot 10 minutes and hit a couple threes for you, like maybe that could be worth um exploring. But in the Boston Celtics case, I’m not so sure that Lillard will even want to come to Boston in a sense because they don’t look to be contending next season. Is it going to be a two-year deal while Dame is still getting paid $22.5 million each of the next five seasons from the Bucks? Maybe that would make sense for him to come, you know, maybe rehab next to Jason Tatum. But, you know, with what the Celix roster looks like right now, like I’m not so sure that Dame’s going to want to come into this situation. it would more uh to me be about the rehab process than the prospect of ever seeing the court with the Boston Celtics if he were to sign this off seasonason. So, we’ll go over like the the Celtics side of things and the Dame side of things a little bit more in depth in just a moment. But my question to you is this. Should the Celtics sign Damen Lillard? Yes or no? It would be a vet minimum contract here. And who knows if he would ever actually wear Boston Celtics green on the basketball court. But in the sense of having him around the locker room and helping him in his recovery process, should the C’s sign Damen Lillard for the Lolo this offseason? Yes or no? Let me know in the comments section. Look, from DNE’s perspective, I don’t hate it. Like, I know he would probably want to go to a situation where it’s they’re probably closer to winning a championship next season, but we know what the kind of competitor that Dame is. And I’m not so sure that he would want to even, you know, get a pity ring in a way, right? Like, like be on the bench all of next season and into the postseason. If that team is lucky enough to win the championship, Dame gets a ring. But he wasn’t exactly a part of it. So looking at it from the medical side of things and how Dame’s going to recover from this torn Achilles because he is 34 years old. It’s all in all likelihood the next time that he steps on the basketball court, he’ll be 36 years old if he ever gets out there at all again. So look at it from Dne’s perspective. Why not go to a spot where this team’s in a little bit of a similar situation that you are with Jason Tatum and his rehab from his torn Achilles? a Tatum and Dame rehab journey together would actually kind of be cinema like if if they got to document it a little bit and see these two, you know, future Hall of Famers recover from what many people believe is a careerending basketball injury. So, if these two got to kind of go through the whole process together and, you know, from from the mental side of things, that’s really a positive as well because like like I said, this is a damning injury and has a you know, real black cloud over it. um if your name is not Kevin Durant. So like it’s it’s not an easier injury to come back from. Maybe these two together could help each other um you know just at least make the recovery process a little bit more smooth on the mind and and physically. Hopefully they can both come back onto the basketball court at full strength. But then I look at it from the business side of things for Boston and the Celtics are already back above the second apron after making the signing of Josh May not yesterday. So, I’m not so sure that they’re necessarily going to be willing to, you know, shell out big-time uh tax penalties in order to sign Damen Lillard here. And if they even were going to make Dame uh, you know, a player on this Boston Celtics roster at this point, they already have 15 players on the books, so they’d have to make some moves in order to do so. And we heard from Brian Rob of Mass Live, that could be coming very, very soon. The bigger thing to watch, though, uh, this is after the Josh not signing, is the financials with Boston. The Celtics are still roughly $20.1 million over the luxury tax line. And it makes no sense to be that deep into the tax with the type of roster construction and Tatum expected to miss the entire season, especially for a repeater tax team. Boston has to dump more salary and they need to start doing it sooner rather than later since dumping 20 million during the season will be not will not be an easy task with multiple avenues to move money more likely to dry up. And that makes a lot of sense, right? and we keep hearing sooner rather than later, right? So, keep your eyes peeled and make sure you are subscribed to the channel and those notifications are on because when the Celtics make a move, we make a video. And and as far as the prospect of Dame goes, though, like cutting 20 million is not going to be easy. I think that the Celtics want to get under the luxury tax entirely this off seasonason. And they’re not going to go into the luxury tax in order to sign Damen Lillard, who’s not even going to be out there on the floor for them next next season. So, I I really do not think that it’s a high likelihood that, you know, Boston ends up signing Lillard. Uh if I had to make a an educated guess, I would say he ends up in with the Golden State Warriors who not only have a little bit more tax flexibility. Uh but they also have, you know, a worldrenowned team medical staff uh with Rick Cabbrini over there who does great work in in the recovery process and and in the advisory role over there on their medical staff. Plus, Stame is from the Bay Area. He’s an Oakland guy. So, it would be a little bit of a homecoming for him. Wouldn’t have to, you know, travel much to see his family throughout the season if he is going to sign with a team this upcoming year. I think it would make sense a lot for him to head to Golden State. So, with the Sely’s case, like they’re not going to go in the luxury tax to uh, you know, acquire Damen Lillard here, and it’s already going to be more difficult enough to get $20 million off of their books. A couple ways they could do that are waving JD Davidson, who they just accepted the team option for, they could probably get off of that money, and I’m sure it won’t go into effect until July 6th. Um, trading Anthony Simons. That is something that is probably going to need to happen in order for the Selies to get under the tax line. He makes 27 million dollars. And are you going to get off 12 million straight up or or maybe more with the Simon trade? It I’m not so sure how likely that is at this point with all the free agency signings already being um you know in the works here throughout the league and not a lot of money um able to be absorbed around the NBA as well. So, who knows how much money you can actually get off of by trading Anthony Simons. We’ll have to wait and see on that. Uh George Nyang $8.2 million. There’s a couple of trade exceptions around the league that he could fit into as well. some teams still holding the non- taxpayer mid-level exception. Maybe I I’m not so sure a team would be willing to absorb Nyang into that on an expiring deal, but they would be willing to uh probably absorb Sam Hower into that mid-level exception slot. Uh he makes $10 million, but the Selies have been reportedly wanting to keep Sam Hower a part of their core for years to come as he is on a four-year $45 million contract of plus 40% three-point shooter and you know, an underrated defender as well. Um, Celix want to keep Hower, so it doesn’t look like he’ll be on the move. They’re really going to try to trade two of the new guys they got back in the Holiday and Chris Porzingis moves. Now, coming up next, we we’re going to examine how the Celtics kind of do that and look at the next championship window for Boston when Jason Tatum comes back and when the Celtics are ready to compete once again. Uh there looks like to be a two plus year window in the next couple of seasons where the Celtics could potentially just mold the rest of this roster around and we could be looking at a new look Boston Celtics contending roster. We’ll get into that in just a moment. But make sure you guys get hooked up with the good times at back in 2024 when we were lifting the Lario B and the confetti was falling down from the TD Garden. Go get yourself a commemorative Boston Celtics 2024 championship shirt with the Stars caricatures on there. This was a nearly a $40 shirt and it’s now only $17 with our friends over at Fanatics. And you guys can get it at this link right here, chatsports.com/champ sale. This is a deal with our friends over at Fanatics and we get a commission every single time you guys click this link and buy one of these shirts. So, they got all the sizes available and you guys can get this for the Lolo right now. Chatports.com/champs sale. I put that link at the top of the description and in the comments section so you guys can easily click it and go get yourself a discounted Boston Celtics 2024 championship shirt today. Look, do whatever it takes to get out of the tax until the 2027 off season. So, with that being said, this upcoming season, you’re not looking to be a contender really by any means, even in the weak Eastern Conference. With the way that your front court looks and just a lack of depth, lack of real NBA depth overall on the roster, this is going to be about a player development year. So, you do whatever it takes to get out of the tax until 2027 for the next two seasons. you get the 2026 27 year, that’s where JT comes back, starts getting a little bit um acclimated back into basketball life. You know, really um you could even argue the 2026 27 is a gap year if Tatum is not at 100%. And then we look at the summer of 2027 as the revamp year with that core of Tatum, Brown, White, Pritchard, and Howser. And then we start getting pieces around it here as Chris for Chris Chris Forsber of NBC Sports Boston kind of laid out what Boston’s 2027 2027 summer is going to look like saying the following. The Celtics currently project to enter the summer of 2027 with only Tatum Brown, White Hower, and Pritchard on the roster at a total of $176.3 million. add in Baylor Shyman who I really hope takes a step here and becomes part of that rotation and you’re looking at $181 million now and and with the second April could be closer to $244 million. The Celtics currently project to you know be real spenders around that summer. Boston could comfortably field a roster in the neighborhood of $300 million for two consecutive seasons without costly repeater penalties. So in 2027 they can go back into the tax and nearly right up uh to that you know second apron even even above it while they remaining a title contender. Brown and white could reach free agency at the end of that second season creating a potential pathway to the next pivot in the summer of 2029. So you’ll have the 202728 season. You have the 2028 29 season and that looks like a the two-year title window from 2027 to 2029 when Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown are probably at the peak of their NBA powers. Granted, Tatum comes back from this Achilles injury at 100% near the level of play that he was at pre-injjury. So, it could be could be more than than two years, but it really uh with this new CBA and the way the money works around the league, you got to be looking at these championship windows in short spurts. Celtics just had a two-year window in 23-24 and 24-25. Couldn’t get it done in in in the backto-back season, but it is very difficult to go back back in this league. We’re looking to get another title here for JB and JT in this 2-year window in 2027 to 2029. And hopefully they can make all that happen and make the right moves and have their their books cleared up in that in that 2027 summer. Now, until then, this is about player development. This is about finding another diamond in the rough. This is about finding another Luke Cornette. can with expanded opportunity this this next season, can Luca Garza see an expanded role and and an expanded production and become that Luke Luke Cornet type of player? Not saying the same, you know, archetype overall, but can he be a positive contributor enough on the basketball court in order to warrant being a rot a rotation piece when the Celtics have that next contending, you know, roster? It’s about player development with a guy like Josh Man who has not seen much experience in his NBA career to this point. uber athletic, can defend, super long wingspan, nearly seven feet for a 68 player. What can you get out of him? Like what about Baylor Shyman? What about the rookies like Hugo Gonzalez? Is he I’d assume by 2028 29 he is going to be a winning player in this league. So this is about player development until then. See who can actually be a legitimate contributor in this league and then when JT is back to 100% you’re back into contention. and you can, you know, make a bunch of signings around this league with a lot of flexibility in that summer of 2027 when I when I’d presume that the free agent crop is a whole heck of a lot better than it was in 2025. So, with that being said, the Celtics also have draft capital to maneuver trades as well if they’re not going to go totally free agent route. Like, there’s ways to build rosters in this league. More often than not, it actually comes via trade these days, it seems. So, the Celtics are going to have ammo at their disposal when that summer of 2027 comes around. Look, these next two years might not be the prettiest for Celtics fans, but you got to accept it that things take time in this league. And when you are a contender, you got to kind of flush out your books, not be a tax repeater for a couple of seasons, and then try to get another championship window uh for JT and JB when they’re, you know, crossing that 30 years old threshold. So, with that being said, it might be a tank season in 2026, uh, and potentially the 26 27 season as well. in order to spend big in that summer. Would you quote unquote tank next season to get a good draft pick, more, you know, legitimate contributors for the future of the Boston Celtics in order to be a super contender in 2728 and 2829? Type Y for yes, type N for no. You let me know what you think down in the comments section. And make sure you are subscribed to the channel because whatever happens this offseason, as I think Brad Stevens is going to make some more moves here in the next week or so, we will cover it all for you here at Celtics today. So subscribe youtube.com/seltics TV. See you guys all in the next one. And as always, let’s go SE’s. [Music]

Boston Celtics News Today comes as ESPN NBA insider Marc J. Spears listed the Celtics on a shortlist of teams that have interest in signing Damian Lillard in 2025 NBA Free Agency along with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. Damian Lillard suffered an achilles injury around the same time Jayson Tatum suffered his achilles injury in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Celtics rumors are surrounding the 9-time NBA All-Star and if Boston Celtics GM Brad Stevens could make a move on the veteran point guard. Damiean Lillard was released by the Milwaukee Bucks in NBA Free Agency and will not play again until the 2026-27 NBA season. Celtics Today host Tyler Smith breaks down the latest Boston Celtics free agency rumors.

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Damian Lillard’s last 4 seasons:
2024-25 Stats (58 GP): 24.9 PPG, 7.1 APG, 44.8 FG%, 37.6 3P%
2023-24 Stats (73 GP): 24.3 PPG, 7 APG, 42.4 FG%, 35.4 3P%
2022-23 Stats (58 GP): 32.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, 46.3 FG%, 37.1 3P%
2021-22 Stats (29 GP): 24 PPG, 7.3 APG, 40.2 FG%, 32.4 3P%

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ESPN’s Mark J. Spears on Damian Lillard rumors:
“Not surprisingly, league sources say Lillard received calls from several contending teams quickly after the news of his Bucks’ ending broke. 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.”

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– 🚨Celtics Make SNEAKY GOOD Signing In NBA Free Agency + MORE MOVES COMING?!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4ra81F9mqc
– 🚨MAJOR Al Horford Free Agency UPDATE via NBA Insiders | Celtics Rumors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YdexKSlW60
– 🚨Celtics SIGN Luka Garza, LOSE Luke Kornet In NBA Free Agency: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbEZBVKLzXk

Celtics cap-saving moves in 2025:
– Waive J.D. Davison
– Trade Afernee Simons ($27.1 MM)
– Trade Georges Niang ($8.2 MM)
– Trade Sam Hauser ($10.0 MM)

Boston Celtics 2024-25 Coaching Staff:
– Head Coach: Joe Mazzulla
– Assistant Coaches: Sam Cassell, Tony Dobbins, Amile Jefferson, DJ MacLeay, Matthew Reynolds
– Player Enhancement Coaches: Craig Luschenat, Phil Pressey, Tyler Lashbrook, Ross McMains, Alex Merg

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