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Damian Lillard might want out of Portland. What does that mean for the Celtics?
Lillard is reportedly upset by the social media reaction to Chauncey Billups' hire.
Damian Lillard reportedly isn’t happy with the Blazers, and he might even request a trade — once again prompting questions about whether Brad Stevens and the Celtics will test the trade waters for a superstar this summer.
First, the nuts and bolts. Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes on Sunday: “The enormous backlash from the Portland Trail Blazers’ process to hire a new coach and his concerns on whether a championship contender can be built have become factors that may push the franchise player — Damian Lillard — out the door.”
Some context: Chauncey Billups was considered a top contender for multiple jobs around the league (and reportedly was a finalist for the Celtics position) but many NBA fans objected to his candidacy when reports resurfaced on social media about a disturbing rape case Billups and then-Celtics teammate Ron Mercer settled with a woman in 1997. Lillard later tweeted that he had no knowledge of the allegations against Billups when he initially gave a thumbs up.
Lillard later tweeted several more semi-cryptic messages that seemed to voice displeasure with his treatment by Blazers fans. That Lillard might be upset with Blazers fans generally is, of course, noteworthy and interesting. The Blazers are under no obligation to do anything — Lillard is under contract through 2025, and it’s worth wondering how willing he is to look like the bad guy after years of building the image of a team-friendly player. Still, stars generally find a way to bend the league to their will, and if Lillard wants out, the smart money is on him finding a new home.
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We wrote previously about the pros and cons of the Celtics potentially trading for Lillard, but to reiterate: The Celtics could almost certainly put together the most competitive package for the Blazers’ superstar … but the price might be prohibitive. Plenty of teams would be willing to piece together generous offers, including teams in direct competition with the Celtics in the Eastern Conference like the Philadelphia 76ers (imagine a Damian Lillard-Joel Embiid pairing, or Lillard-Jimmy Butler-Bam Adebayo).
The Blazers will get some strong offers if they make Lillard available. In other words, if the Celtics want Lillard, the price would likely be Jaylen Brown.
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The upside if Stevens grits his teeth and makes a competitive offer: The Celtics get a superstar who could be a perfect pairing with Jayson Tatum. In the playoffs, teams threw two or more defenders at Tatum to force the ball out of his hands. That strategy is less effective when Brown is healthy, but Lillard — with his limitless range and confidence — would open up the floor even further. They would also — again — keep Lillard from joining an Eastern Conference rival after watching James Harden join the Nets.
The downside is equally obvious: The Celtics would lose a young star with a much friendlier contract and a ton of upside who seemingly gets better every season. In exchange, they would receive a soon-to-be 31-year-old on one of the most lucrative contracts in NBA history. How long will Lillard remain one of the NBA’s best players? If Stevens trades for Lillard, what’s the plan for keeping Tatum beyond Lillard’s prime?
One other report surfaced over the weekend courtesy of ESPN’s Brian Windhorst regarding Lillard’s decision to play basketball for Team USA on Saturday: “Lillard was also in communication with Boston Celtics wing Jayson Tatum, who put off his decision on Team USA for some time after the season ended to evaluate his offseason priorities.”
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Lillard and Tatum might have spoken exclusively about Team USA, but the timing of the two reports is a little difficult to ignore.
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