Celtics, Timberwolves Offered Contract To Damian Lillard

The Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves offered contracts to Damian Lillard, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. 

However, Lillard chose to sign a three-year, $42 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. The future Hall of Famer now gets to rehab his left Achilles tear while being around his kids. 

“Boston, Minnesota, dozens of other teams had minimum and mid-level exception offers out to Damian Lillard in the last several weeks,” Charania said. 

Lillard will miss all of next season recovering from his Achilles tear. He will make $70 million from the Milwaukee Bucks and Trail Blazers. 

The 35-year-old Lillard played in 58 games for the Bucks last season. He averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists. 

Lillard spent the first 11 years of his career with the Trail Blazers. He requested a trade in 2023 and was traded to the Bucks, who lost to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2024 and 2025 playoffs. 

Milwaukee waived Lillard, who was slated to make $113 million over the next two seasons with the Bucks. That amount will be stretched over the next five seasons.

Lillard has career averages of 25.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists with the Trail Blazers and Bucks. He’s fourth in NBA history in 3-point field goals.