Despite Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard being friends, the Boston Celtics have no intention of entering the Lillard trade sweepstakes, according to NBA insider Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.
The Celtics are aware that Lillard only wants to get traded to the Miami Heat.
“Along those lines, the Celtics have no intention of entering the Damian Lillard sweepstakes, according to league sources,” Himmelsbach wrote. “Things can change suddenly, of course. Maybe Boston gets pulled in as a third team in a deal. But the Celtics are not pursuing the Trail Blazers star, whose trade request has become the story of the NBA offseason.”
Lillard has told the Portland Trail Blazers that he wants to get traded to the Heat. However, since the seven-time All-Star doesn’t possess a no-trade clause in his contract, the Blazers can trade Lillard anywhere they want to.
The 32-year-old Lillard averaged 32.2 points and 7.3 assists last season while shooting 46.3% from the field, 37.1% from beyond the arc and 91.4% from the free-throw line. He scored a whopping 71 points on February 26 versus the Houston Rockets.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers & Boston Celtics Updates
The Celtics already made their blockbuster trades this summer, trading Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies and Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks. Boston acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards, so the team’s new Big 3 is now Tatum, Porzingis and Jaylen Brown, who is expected to sign a supermax extension with the Celtics soon.
The Heat and Celtics have faced other in back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals series. It would certainly be fun to watch Lillard, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo versus Tatum, Brown and Porzingis in a best-of-seven series next year.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers & Boston Celtics Updates
However, for that to happen, the Blazers would have to trade Lillard to the Heat and several reports have stated that Portland is not impressed with Miami’s offer for Lillard.
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