Getty Al Horford of the Boston Celtics.
The Boston Celtics continue to be linked with potential trade targets, with the most recent being six-time All-Star Damian Lillard, who has been the subject of trade speculation for most of 2021.
The Portland Trail Blazers are in the midst of a crisis. Neil Olshey recently got released from his position as the Trail Blazers GM. Their star guard in Damian Lillard is disillusioned with the team’s direction, and CJ McCollum is out indefinitely due to a collapsed lung.
While the Celtics currently look like a team destined for mediocrity due to the lack of talent surrounding their All-Star duo in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It makes sense, then, that Lillard’s name continues to be linked with a Celtics team that’s so desperate to add a third star to its core and re-embark on a sustained period of championship contention.
However, as the Celtics wish to keep Brown and Tatum together, any potential deal for Lillard is likely to be based upon the notion that the Trail Blazers have hit the reset button and are looking for picks and young talent in return. Otherwise, Boston won’t stand a chance of adding the star guard to their roster, or at least, not without parting ways with one of their star wing duo.
ESPN Propose Trade Package
In a recent article from ESPN, NBA insider Kevin Pelton postulates a potential trade that would see the Celtics keep their star duo and acquire Lillard in the process.
In the proposed deal, Boston would send out:
- Juancho Hernangomez
- Al Horford
- Aaron Nesmith
- Payton Pritchard
- Dennis Schroder
- 2022 first-round pick
- 2024 first-round pick
- 2026 first-round pick (top-10 protected 2026, top-4 protected 2027, unprotected 2028)
- 2028 first-round pick (top-4 protected 2028 if the previous pick conveys in 2026; converts to
- 2028 second-round pick if not conveyed)
While the Trail Blazers would part ways with:
- Damian Lillard
- CJ Elleby
- Ben McLemore
- Tony Snell
- Cody Zeller
The biggest stumbling block is the amount of draft picks the Celtics would need to part ways with. Lillard is already 31-years-old and will likely be retired before some of these picks materialize into actual players.
During the article, Kevin Pelton wrote, “Dealing so many picks would be a huge risk for the Celtics, but Lillard would be the kind of playmaker they haven’t had at point guard since Kyrie Irving’s departure, and Lillard’s long-term contract protects them from another star leaving in free agency.”
Lillard’s Contract Could Be off-Putting
Lillard is in the first year of a four-year deal that doesn’t see him re-enter free agency until the summer of 2025, where he will be approaching his age 35 season, per Spotrac. Still, while the contract length might be enticing for a team like Boston, who have struggled to keep their stars in recent years, Lillard’s salary might be somewhat of a sticking point for the front office, and more importantly, the ownership team.
Over the four years of Lillard’s contract, he is guaranteed $176 million, which will see him earn $48.7 million at the age of 34, assuming he opts into his player option, and if we’re being honest, why wouldn’t he?
Unfortunately, Lillard is already showing signs of regression, with his per-game averages slightly below what you would expect from a guard of his caliber. Perhaps the Oakland native is disillusioned with life in Portland, or maybe the incredible milage on his body is starting to catch up with him.
Lillard will have no shortage of suitors regardless of his current production should he officially hit the trade block. And if the Celtics aren’t the team to pull the trigger on adding the superstar guard to their core, then expect the Philadelphia 76ers to be a viable trade destination due to their issues with Ben Simmons.
Lillard has averaged 21.5 points, 7.8 assists, and four rebounds per game this season, shooting the ball at an uncharacteristically low 30% clip from deep and 39.7% from the field, per Basketball-Reference.
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