By admin 
It appears that the Boston Celtics will be into the Damian Lillard sweepstakes after all — or at least considering it.
According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, the Celtics were among many clubs that contacted the Portland Trail Blazers to inquire about a potential trade.
“It did cause teams to pause, hold on, let’s wait on what he had planned and look to see if we had a shot,” Haynes explained on his This League Uncut Podcast. “The Clippers, the Timberwolves, the Pelicans, the Boston Celtics, those are the teams off the top of my head, I’m pretty sure there were more, those were the teams that I know called out to reach out to see what it would take (to land Lillard).”
Lillard has been linked to Boston for over a year at this point, as his future with the Blazers has been uncertain for quite some time now. The two sides are connected more so because of the assets that the Celtics have to offer, rather than because of any real traction in regards to a blockbuster trade.
The reported most-likely scenario is that the seven-time All-NBA guard winds up with the Miami Heat, who topped the C’s in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Lillard has made it widely known that Miami is his preferred destination — so much so that other teams may be hesitant to swing a deal for him, according to The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang.
“But Lillard holds one big leverage card: Other potential suitors know that he wants to play in Miami,” the pair explained. “So would anyone make a serious offer knowing their team is not his preference, especially considering the money that Lillard is due (four years, $216 million)? That’s highly questionable.”
Boston certainly falls under the umbrella of teams that are “not his preference.” Haynes reported so last month, during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.
“He’s not doing Boston,” Haynes said on June 8.
Well, it depends on who you ask.
Some Celtics fans are all-in on the idea, while others aren’t interested in a move that would likely require Brad Stevens to split up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
If Boston was to make a move for Lillard, they’d have him under contract through the 2026-27 season, where he’d be making $63 million at age 36, per Spotrac.
When it comes to deals, age actually is a major role. In the hypothetical situation in which Boston sends the 26-year-old Brown to Portland in return for the 32-year-old star, they would be dealing six years for very little money.
Furthermore, Lillard is only six-foot-two, which may make him a target on the defensive end. When you consider that athleticism is an important aspect of his game, as he relies on his rapid burst to produce shots and get to the rim, age becomes a huge issue. Athleticism doesn’t last forever, and when Lillard loses him, he’ll have to drastically alter his game.