This could be a Jrue Holiday 2.0 situation for the Bucks.
When Damian Lillard initially requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, it was suggested that he only wanted to play for the Miami Heat. In typical Heat fashion, Pat Riley didn't get the job done, something their fan base has been annoyed with for much of the past few years.
Riley, who runs one of the hottest teams in the NBA because of their location, hasn't been able to land a star in recent years. It's very questionable, but ultimately, something that the Heat will have to figure out.
Throughout that process, which eventually led to his trade to the Milwaukee Bucks, it was reported that he had no interest in joining the Boston Celtics.
However, according to a recent report from Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Lillard would now be open to joining the Celtics.
“One team Lillard has interest in joining is the Boston Celtics,” Washburn wrote. “And the Celtics reportedly have shared interest in teaming up with the veteran point guard.”
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“When Lillard was seeking a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers two years ago, he wasn’t interested in a trade to Boston,” Washburn continued. “Now, Lillard has some interest in the Celtics, in part because of the close friendship he’s built with star forward Jayson Tatum.”
For the Milwaukee Bucks, this isn’t ideal, as the last thing they want to do is see another star player go to the Celtics.
Considering Lillard would be able to sign a very cheap deal due to his contract situation with the Bucks, as they waived and stretched it over five years, makes matters even worse.
Not only would the Celtics be able to land a star, but they'd be able to do so and continue to have one of the better rosters in the NBA once Brad Stevens goes to work again.
Category: Basketball
