Marc Spears has revealed that Jayson Tatum tried recruiting Damian Lillard to the Boston Celtics.
The Boston Celtics are one of the teams that could use a point guard like Damian Lillard on the roster. It would’ve been a great fit alongside Jayson Tatum, but it seems Lillard is not interested. Marc Spears has revealed that Tatum tried recruiting Dame to the Celtics before the Blazers’ guard declined in favor of forcing a move to the Heat.
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“I know that Boston, I know that Jason Tatum’s called him. Tried to get in his ear. But his (Lillard) focus is definitely on Miami.”
Lillard is still on the market, insisting on being moved to the Heat, a team with a very weak trade package. We’re a few weeks out from training camp, so it’ll be interesting to see how this situation escalated heading into the season.
The Celtics made their big swing trade by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis for Marcus Smart.
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The Celtics would have been an intriguing destination for Lillard. If the approach by Tatum was made at the start of the offseason, it’s likely that the Celtics trade Jaylen Brown to acquire Lillard instead of giving Brown the richest contract in NBA history.
Lillard averaged 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists last season and was named to an All-NBA team. He is among the best guards in the NBA and has tremendous value, even with his trade request. The Heat cannot match the price, but if Dame was to expand his list to include teams like the Brooklyn Nets, he may find a move soon.
Now that Lillard isn’t even acknowledging the situation with the Blazers in interviews, it seems the relationship between the team and the player has fully broken down. It’s just a question of whether the team wants to drag this situation into the start of their 2023-24 season.