Oct 28, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles down the court defended by Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Celtics’ Path to Landing Damian Lillard Involves Key Moves

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI | By Ryan Stano | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 2:28 PM ET

The Boston Celtics are one of the many teams that have reached out to Damian Lillard with some interest in signing him. He was surprisingly waived by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Lillard will have a lot of choices to pick from when it comes to his next destination. This is the first time that he has been a free agent in his career, so he might enjoy taking his time.

If the Celtics are going to have a chance to sign Lillard, they will have to sign him to at least a two-year deal since he has a torn Achilles. They will also need to make some other moves to make it work.

If Boston is going to be a viable team to bring Lillard in, they will need to clear some room to offer him the mid-level exception.

#Celtics need a roster spot to sign Lillard.

He’d obviously miss most if not all of 2025-26.

He’s making $22M from the Bucks for the next 5 seasons.

C’s can offer minimum or the $5.7M MLE if they clear more space.

I’m for it. It makes about as much sense as any other team.
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) July 2, 2025

It's very unlikely that Lillard would accept a minimum value deal to head to the Celtics, or any team for that matter. He views himself as a player who is worth more than that.

Having a year where he will sit out makes things trickier. It would be shocking if he plays at all next season as he recovers from a torn Achilles that he suffered in the first round of the playoffs.

Boston would likely need to move Sam Hauser and Xavier Tillman to have enough space to bring Lillard in. It certainly would sting to trade Hauser away as another salary dump this summer.

More Celtics news: Celtics Superstar Jayson Tatum Has 2-Word Response to Luke Kornet Departure

Boston won't be competing for the title next season anyway because of the Jayson Tatum injury. They could sell Lillard on being a true title contender in 2026-27 when both he and Tatum are back.

There is a level of uncertainty around how well Lillard will return from his Achilles injury at his age. He is already in his mid-30s, and Achilles injuries tend to be much harder to come back from at his age.

This past season for the Bucks, Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. He shot 44.8 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three.

More Boston Celtics news: Celtics Legend Paul Pierce Slams Team’s Offseason, Urges Them to Not Make Rash Trade

Celtics Interested in Damian Lillard After Shocking Bucks Exit

For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.

This article first appeared on Boston Celtics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: